Battle Royale: Girls Only
by SadMovie23
Summary: One class at the Tsuchihara All-Girls High School is selected for the Battle Royale. For the first time, a school composed only by girls will play. Who'll be the winner? Discontinued. Final summary posted!
1. The Beginning

**Chapter 1**

2011 Program, 15nth edition

Tsuchihara All-Girls High School

3rd year A

Student List:

Girl #1 Hisame Shikamoto

Girl #2 Kumiko Noma

Girl #3 Chitose Higurashi

Girl #4 Tomoko Kobi

Girl #5 Rin Tosaba

Girl #6 Kageri Shouzaku

Girl #7 Sachiko Kirihara

Girl #8 Aya Tsunaba

Girl #9 Hana Nozaki

Girl #10 Yoriko Shibasaki

Girl #11 Misa Fujiwara

Girl #12 Mari "Mary" Shikamoto

Girl #13 Asuka Yamanaka

Girl #14 Kagura Soga

Girl #15 Hitomi Nara

Girl #16 Miki Nakayoshi

Girl #17 Rena Kuroda

Girl #18 Sato Mizunoe

Girl #19 Natsumi Moriguchi

Girl #20 Kyoko Tachibana

Girl #21 Shizuko Honda

Girl #22 Tsukiko Amano

The fading sun of the noon twilight bathed the windows of the large, green-painted music room with it's faint, beautiful light. It seemed like a scene taken directly from an European movie: a beautiful scenery outside, a finely decorated room, and two beautiful girls playing their instruments at the center of it, one on the violin, the other on the piano.

They played two songs on that day, two of their all-time favorites: they were _Promise of the World_ and _Merry-go-Round-Life_, from Hayao Myazaki's animated film Howl's Moving Castle. Since Asuka Yamanaka (Girl #13) saw that film in her house, by herself, managing to stay awake by liters of Coke. It was part of her Animation class assignment, and Asuka honestly hated anime. But after seeing that movie she changed her mind. It was such a beautiful film, pure and simply…. And the songs were even better. Asuka would play for hours if she could, but now it was time to leave the school. The bright, pretty girl turned to her tall friend, Kyoko Tachibana (Girl #20), and said:

"Okay, Kyoko, let's stop for today." – Kyoko stopped playing the white, clean piano and answered back, after looking at the clock:

"Time flies when we are having fun."- Asuka giggled. Her friend was always like that, trying to make humor and fun of the worst situations. Maybe, that was the reason why Asuka liked her so much. They had been friends for nothing less than 10 years, since they were six. And their plans for the future were to work together. They would be two concert members, touring and traveling around the world playing her music. Asuka on the violin, and Kyoko on the piano. It was how it would end, they both knew it.

Kyoko's cell phone, inside her sailor suit, suddenly rang and she gently picked it up and answered. It was Nobuo, her boyfriend for, as for that moment, one year. Asuka kept looking at Kyoko's mature, adult-like face as they packed their schoolbags, left the music room and went down the hallway. Deep inside, she felt a little jealously of her best friend, but not exactly in a negative way; more like admiration. Kyoko was beautiful and mature, had a great boyfriend, and good grades. Asuka struggled hard to achieve all of those things, and was actually making progress, but she still had a long way to go.

Kyoko, though, as opposite of other girls in the class like Kageri Shoukazu (Girl #6), never acted proudly or was cold to others because of her success in life. Quite the opposite. Kyoko was cheerful and loved to help others. While Asuka had few friends except for Kyoko, Kyoko had many other friends, both inside the class and outside of it. None of them, though, knew so much about her or were as close as Asuka was. Being the perfect girl best friend was a light of confidence for Asuka. It made her special.

"Ouch!" screamed Kyoko, as a few steps into the hallway, somebody tripped on her legs and almost fell into the floor. Kyoko turned around and quickly identified who it was. That small, chubby body could only belong to Sato Mizunoe (Girl # 18), the most isolated, and nerdy and alienated girl in the class. Both Asuka and Kyoko felt sorry for her, and were some of the few people who were nice to Sato, instead of bullying like the "class bitches" Kumiko Noma (Girl #2), Tomoko Kobi (Girl #4) and Tsukiko Amano (Girl #22) constantly did. However, Sato was already way past their help, and did not open to anyone. Such a pity, because Kyoko felt the potential to be a great girl hidden inside Sato. But if even she didn't want to improve on herself, then no one would. Without saying a single word to the girl she had just tripped on, Sato started running and quickly disappeared at the end of the hall.

Asuka was about to say something about that impoliteness, but Kyoko simply moved her head and said, silencing her.

"It's OK, Asuka. She has already suffered a lot at school. Let's not make it even worse for her." It was easy to see why Sato was the bullied one. She cried a lot, was unstable, and extremely shy. Kyoko sensed that, and that's why she didn't get angry. The real ones to blame were the three class bitches, who, by the way, were passing by as soon as Asuka and Kyoko left the school and walked towards the huge square , surrounded by trees and filled with students.

"Look who's here: the ugly duckling who wants to be a swan."- mocked Tsukiko, pointing at Sato, while the other two laughed. Tsukiko was a real delinquent: she was violent, moody, and aggressive and ate and injected heroin when by herself. Kumiko and Tomoko were also two monsters, but Tsukiko really took the humiliating-Sato cake. She did most of the bullying and made Sato's life a living hell. Asuka couldn't stand those three. They were so mean with everybody except themselves that the entire class hated them in secret. They didn't dare to say a word, of course: the trio ruled the class with iron hands. One day, Mari Shikamoto (Girl #12), a very strange girl and the second at the pecking order, tried to fight Tsukiko back during lunch time, while Tsukiko kept pulling her dyed-blond her and calling her a "stupid wannabe-American". Mari had to go to the infirmary after that episode, and one her blue lenses was lost forever.

While Kumiko tainted Sato and the other two held her arms, Asuka and Kyoko found it better to just walk away. Not because they were insensitive, but because they heard a voice that made them forget everything:

"Hey girls! How did the last practice go?" – asked Yoriko Shibasaki (Girl # 10), the cheerful and strong girl who was the athletic star of the school. Her best and inseparable friend, the long-haired and short heighted Chitose Higurashi (Girl #3), calmly stood there, smiling. Like Asuka and Kyoko, they also knew each other for 10 years, and were always together. No one could imagine a group of friends more opposite: Yoriko was active, athletic, and even had a more masculine face. Chitose, on the other hand, was shyer, reserved, and the only sport she actually enjoyed practicing was ballet. She was also extremely cute, like a small child.

"Really well. We are almost done with the song by now."- answered Kyoko. – "One more rehearsal and we'll learn it completely. Where do you girls want to go after the medical exam, tomorrow?" In the next day, all the girls would see each other in underwear and then be weighed, measured, and receive private talks to the coaches. It was only to determine who would do better in sports and who wouldn't. Something simple and that happened only once a year.

"Hmmm… I'm not sure."- Answered Chitose – we might dine together at Suimikage, that restaurant two blocks away from school. I've talked to my mom and she'll let us all watch a movie by my house. Which one do you girls want?" – A surprisingly excited Chitose pronounced. "I vote for a romantic comedy, but I'm not exactly sure which one."

"Ah, we've had a lot of that, _petit_."- said Yoriko, in her kind way of referring to her friend by her height. "What about an action film? I can deal with the violence, and besides, there are a lot of handsome actors there." – All the girls smiled.

"Well."- stated Asuka, memories coming back to her. "If it can only be one, then I'll go for Howl's Moving Castle."

As the girls kept talking and gossiping, all the others in their class and in the others were leaving the school. Aya Tsunaba (Girl #8), a devoted Christian girl, though also very restrained and unfriendly, grabbed her bike and quickly went home. Kageri Shouzaku and her best friend, Miki Nakayoshi (Girl #16), the two most talkative girls and the ones in charge of spreading all the gossip at school, got into one of their parents car for a sleepover. Mari and Hisame Shikamoto (Girl # 1), the two cousins who by coincidence had the same age and got into the same class, walked towards the street, talking loudly in the bushes. Hisame wasn't as eccentric or weird as her cousin, but was well-know for being a very impatient girl, who did not tolerate any opinion that went against herself. After losing her blue eye lens to Tsukiko, Mari bought a new, green pair, and now looked strangely bizarre with both Asian and green eyes.

Then there were Rena Kuroda (Girl # 17), Natsumi Moriguchi (Girl # 19) and Shizuko Honda (Girl # 21), walking together in silence. Those were hard times for the trio. Shizuko couldn't hide the fact that she was pregnant anymore. She got a child from her previous boyfriend, who after knowing she was pregnant, vanished from the face of the Earth and never saw her again. It was the last month already, and , although her baby was already formed, she had no ideia of which name she would give to her. Rena and Natsumi promised to help her taking care of the baby, along with their families. Shizuko thought about abortion several times, but now she knew that it was too late to do it. Besides, she actually wanted to have the baby, who would be a girl. It was unfair to kill someone before he/she could live. The moral guilt of carrying a child was consuming her. Before the pregnancy, she was an outgoing, happy girl. Now, Shizuko was closed, anti-social (except with her two friends) and filled with remorse.

"Bye girls! See you tomorrow!" – The biggest group of girls in the class waved to the four friends talking about movies. It was composed by Rin Tosaba (Girl #5), the leader, a tall girl with shoulder-length hair, Sachiko Kirihara (Girl #7) the wise girl with glasses, though actually quite pretty, Hana Nozaki (Girl #9), an innocent, bright girl with long braided hair, Hitomi Nara (Girl #15), he ponytailed friend with a similar personality, and last but not least , Kagura Soga (Girl #4), the most introverted, and less pretty and popular member. It was a miracle such a shy girl managed to belong in a group of friends with totally different personalities than her. Out of all of them, she was the most interesting in Asuka's eyes. Maybe there was more that met the eye about her.

Misa Fujiwara (Girl #11) caught up with Asuka and her friends and immediately asked:

"Hello! I'm new here in Tokyo and I just want to know the city better. I know all of you live close to me, so could somebody just go on a tour with me this weekend, just to show the city around?"- another girl who just arrived at that school would not feel intimate enough to ask such a question from classmates she wasn't friends with yet, but not Misa. She was always like that: direct, imposing, wanting to fit in as much as possible. Misa had just come from Osaka, and didn't know the city yet (it was her first week at Tsuchihara All Girls High School). All she wanted was to fit in and make friends as quickly as possible, because she knew that if she didn't do that right from the start, she would never do in the entire school year. She was very beautiful too. She had a tall and thin complexion, with long black hair and beautiful hazel eyes. If there was a beauty contest in the class, Misa and Kumiko would take the first spots, and ugly Sato and Kagura, the last ones. Misa wasn't proud of being beautiful, though. For her, she was born that way and that was it.

"Sure."- Quickly answered Kyoko, not thinking before the answer. – But we are with a busy schedule for this weekend, and we might not have time. But if I get an opening, I'll send you a text message." "OK", Misa responded with a yellow smile. She would never accept being left out of something. Misa would convince those four to be her friends, sooner or later. She calmly walked away with the darkness of sundown.

"Will you really go out with her, Kyoko?" – asked a confused Yoriko. "I don't know, Yori. We don't know her well enough for that. She seems to be nice, but still….. Maybe in a few weeks, but not now. I'm actually not sure."- For the first time on that day, Kyoko expressed some doubt.

That subject soon died out and then was replaced by another, then another, until the girls got tired and decided to come home. Kyoko was correct about something: she would never show Tokyo to Misa. Not exactly by the reasons she thought she would. Kyoko would never see her boyfriend again or at least for a few days. Because, unbeknownst to her or any of her classmates, her class was selected for The Program, and it would start the next day.


	2. Locker Room

**Chapter 2**

**Second chapter of my second Fanfiction. The game still hasn't started, but hang on, it will very soon!**

_The next day, Tsuchihara All-Girls High School Locker Room_

Asuka and Kyoko were running wildly, almost flying, through the long stairs that led to the locker room. It was a special day, the day of the medical exam all classes should take once a year. On that day, it was their classes turn. The two friends weren't really excited. The exam consisted of weighting and measuring, and all the girls would now know how fat, strong or un-pretty one of them was. Asuka and Kyoko did not really worry about it, thankfully.

When they arrived at the large, open space filled with showers and lockers, Yoriko and Chitose were already there, partially undressed. Chitose's pink bra seemed to be twice the size of her small body, but the others pretended not to notice. Kyoko started taking of her shirt, exposing her creamy, beautiful body. Yoriko couldn't resist stating:

"Kyoko, words can't explain how much I envy you right now." – And all the girls giggled together.

"Don't worry, Yori" – answered Asuka – "If you exercise every day, do a plastic surgery in your entire body and then kill yourself to reincarnate, you might get close to her." – Despite the meanness in the sentence, Asuka did not want to harm her friend. She just _knew _that it was almost impossible for a girl to be as beautiful as Kyoko. She was actually looked like a model, much like Kumiko Noma. Yoriko, with her short hair and tall stature, was a bit too masculine to be considered pretty.

Misa Fujiwara, who despite being new in the school had adjusted very quickly and was even becoming quite popular among the other girls conversations, sprinted through the locker room and met her classmate's gaze. She did not forget about her conversation with Kyoko on the previous day.

"Hey girls! Are you now sure about taking me on a tour now, Kyoko?" – asked Misa, directly and a bit aggressively, like her fiery personality was.

"Yes. Don't worry, we'll go together."- answered Kyoko. She had been thinking about hanging out with Misa instead of her boyfriend the entire time during the previous night. Misa seemed to be a nice girl, and was also strong-willed. Kyoko liked these types of people. Also, she still did not have any friends, and being friends with Kyoko would make her friendly with the entire group. Misa couldn't hide a smile after hearing that answer.

Asuka, who was quietly watching the events to unfold while undressing, heard a sob behind her, on the other side of the locker room. She turned around and saw Sato Mizunoe, still with her shirt on, crying copiously. She did not usually talk to her, but decided to at least ask what was going on.

"Sato, it's me, Asuka…. Why are you crying, darling?" – She hoped the "darling" at the end of the sentence would make Sato answer.

Sato looked into her eyes with her large glasses, teary eyed. She then answered like if her throat was burning with fire:

"It's Kumiko…. And her friends… when they see how ugly I am, they'll all make fun of me again. - Sato knew she would be bullied anyway, but decided not to undress. She did not want to be seen, as she was fat and ugly. She hated herself and envied girls like Kumiko and Kyoko more than anyone else. How unfair God was! Why couldn't he just make everyone thin and pretty?

"I think they bully you, Sato, because you pay attention to them. That's all they want: attention. Ignore then and they'll go away, because I'm sure they are unhappy and lonely themselves." – Asuka never thought she could deliver such a wonderful speech like that. Maybe that was the cause of all bullying: unhappiness. And unhappiness only leads to more unhappiness, and in the end everybody loses the battle.

The locker room door opened and the dreaded trio came in. Tsukiko was the first to come in and already shouted at Sato:

"Look who's here! The fatty, stupid, ugly duckling! Why don't you take your clothes off? Only because you are ugly and can't do anything about it?" – Tsukiko was a really, really mean person. Kumiko and Tomoko giggled in the background.

Asuka stood up and faced Tsukiko, angry. She wouldn't accept that humiliation happening in front of her anymore. She shouted back.

"Look who's here! The dumb slut who has an empty life and loves to say others are ugly because she's already ugly herself!" – Asuka was playing with fire, and was about to get burned.

"Fuck you!" – screamed Tsukiko, and then ran towards Asuka, ready to punch her. How could that small, stupid brat go against her, the most foul-mouthed and aggressive in her trio? But somebody grabbed her arm. Surprisingly, it was Misa.

"Tsukiko, she's my friend now. Stop it." – Her voice was so calm and certain of what she was saying that even Tsukiko got impressed. Asuka was happy to see that she was a friend of Misa as well. Tsukiko angrily stared at Misa and said:

"I promise you, bitch, that you are not going to live to see the sun tomorrow." – And then got rid of Misa's arm and went back to her group, who angrily gossiped and disappeared behind the locker lines.

Aya Tsunaba was also in the locker room the entire time, changing her clothing all by herself. She had watched the fight and now her thoughts were all of pride and punishment. Aya was born to a fanatically religious family, who believed everything that wasn't told or said in a church was an art of the devil. Aya just thought to herself: _How can these girls be so stupid? That Tsukiko is a coward, and Sato is also a whiny loser. They are all so aggressive and mean to each other. The world must be close to the Apocalypse. O Lord, please protect me of their indecency and sin. Do not make me fall into temptation. Amen._

Meanwhile, Shizuko Honda and her friends, Rena and Natsumi, sat together by the locker line next to the right side of the place. Shizuko was constantly touching her pregnant belly, wondering when it would come out. She wished her boyfriend had not abandoned her, but now it was too late. At least she still had her family (who accepted her pregnancy and did not force her to abort) and friends to trust. Her life was the new life coming out of her now.

"I hope they don't do anything physically stressing today. It would hurt my baby badly."- Shizuko wasn't doing exercise for a long time now. She couldn't, and also did not want to. The teacher would probably get angry with her, but it didn't matter.

"Don't worry, Shizu, you'll be fine. Think about us, who'll have to go through the training and humiliation anyway." – said Rena, the comic relief of the group. All the three girls smiled, and Shizuko now felt happy. Without her friends, she was nothing, but with them… she was a lot. She wondered how her baby would feel in the future, with three "mothers" instead of only one.

Rin Tosaba's group was also gossiping and talking about the future. Specially Hana Nozaki, the most talkative, about a new crush she was having.

"Her name is Koichi, and he lives in Shibuya. He's so handsome and gentlemanly; you girls should all meet him!" – Hana was boy crazy and changed her crushes daily. She was proud of it.

"I vote we should all meet him, but in the end he would be only mine!" – exclaimed Hitomi Nara, Hana's rival-in-love but friend in anything else. She hadn't met Koichi personally, but she knew Hana wasn't lying. Her face said it all.

"I wonder what my Shuya would say if he heard that" – giggled Rin, the pretty but also as fragile as a bird leader. She was dating for two years already and actually loved Shuya more than anything. It was hard to get a boyfriend in an all-girls school, but Rin found the best she could. It made her feel special. Rin loved to be a leader, even though it meant a lot of work.

"What about you two? You need to have somebody in mind, you know it!" – asked Rin to Sachiko Kirihara and Kagura Soga, who were away from the gossip. Sachiko simply raised her head and answered:

"Not interested. Please call again. Tut-tut." – Sachiko's imitation of a telephone was so perfect that all girls burst out laughing, except Kagura, always in a corner and the one who was out of most conversations. Even though she had many friends, Kagura still felt very, very lonely. Maybe because she thought they weren't real friends. They just picked her into the group to see one less isolated girl in class, besides Sato. Kagura was sometimes funny and happy, but most times gloomy and sad. Sachiko, on the other hand, despite looking nerdy and not having interest in men, was a very nice girl and also made decisions quickly.

All the groups kept talking and slowly all the girls, with only their bras and skirts on, walked up the staircase to the infirmary, where the exam would take place. The nurse, Mrs. Suzuki, was a beautiful, tall woman who would raise crushes from all the boys, if boys were allowed in that school. The girls sat down next to her friends and started to hear what the nurse had to say. Mari and Hiasame Shikamoto, Miki Nakayoshi and Kageri Shouzaku were already there since early in the morning, for some strange reason. The nurse simply asked a question to Rin, the class representative:

"Rin, are they all here?" – Rin looked around and counted all the girls. "Yes, they all are, Mrs. Suzuki.

"Great. Really great."- And then Mrs. Suzuki grabbed something on the floor and put it on her face. It was a gas mask. The puzzled girls started asking questions, but not for very long. They were all feeling strangely tired and quickly went to sleep where they were. Asuka was the last one to go, looking around to see all of her sleepy friends, before finally going to the darkness herself.


	3. Worst Fear

**Chapter 3**

**In this chapter, The Program begins**

While Asuka was wondering all by herself in the immense, strange and surreal Land of the Dreams, she dreamed with her and all of her classmates inside a small room, all of them carrying a pistol. The room was dark and empty, with only one small window, which emitted a fluorescent white light. Suddenly, a voice ordered the girls to shoot each other. Asuka pointed her gun to the back of Misa's head. Kyoko, her best friend, pointed hers to the back of Asuka's head. With the corner of her eyes, Asuka saw all of her classmates during the same, until someone fired her gun. Asuka was shot at the same time she shot Misa, and the impact of a bullet piercing through her brain made her instantly wake up.

"Whoa!"- exclaimed the girl as she came back, still hearing all the "bangs" inside her ears. While dreaming, Asuka imagined she would wake up in her bedroom, where she always slept. But she wasn't there. Looking around, Asuka saw she was now in the middle of a large classroom, a place she had never seen before. All the other girls were around her, some awake, but mostly asleep. They were all back in their red school uniforms. The windows were all barred by large pieces of wood, and there was only one small, tiny door at the corner of the classroom. It did not seem to be a safe, happy place; it was more like a prison.

Kyoko, who was sitting behind her, also awoke, and the pair started talking. They were so confused that both did not know what to say. Around them, all the other girls quickly awoke as well, and they could see their faces of fear and surprise. Gossip and screams from the more hysterical girls broke out, and soon all of them were confused, not knowing what to do or even where they were. Asuka looked at her friend with more attention and saw something that made her blood run cold.

"Kyoko, what is this on your neck?" – asked the frightened Asuka. Kyoko was now wearing a metal collar around her neck that seemed to be made of steel. Asuka looked around. All the girls were using the same same collar. Asuka them raised her own hands to her neck and realized she was using it, as well.

Sato Mizunoe, surprisingly, was the first one to say something important, for the first time:

"I think we are in The Program."

Only one sentence was enough to silence the class for a few seconds. Then chaos broke out. Several girls screamed, many more started crying, and even the calmest ones, like Kumiko, wore frozen looks on their faces. The Program. The annual brutal game that took the lives of dozens of teenagers every year. Asuka's biggest fear. It couldn't be true. No, it was a nightmare. She was still in The Land of the Dreams. Asuka couldn't stop the tears from falling. She would die, no, it wasn't true, but she would die, _die, _and Kyoko would die too, and also Chitose and Yoriko, and also Misa, and everyone else. They were selected. And now they would die.

The door quickly opened, and Mrs. Suzuki , the school nurse, came in. She wasn't wearing her nurse uniform anymore; instead, she now dressed like a prostitute, with a very short floral skirt, a white shirt displaying a lot of cleavage, and lots of makeup. She was undeniably sexy, but also seemed to irradiate an air of malice and deviousness. Kyoko raised her finger and asked Mrs. Suzuki the thing all the girls wanted to know but no one had the courage to ask:

"Mrs. Suzuki, are we in The Program?"

Mrs. Suzuki smiled the most plastic smile Asuka and Kyoko had ever seen in their lives. And she giggly answered:

"Yes, sweethearts. You were all selected for The Program edition this year. Congratulations! Isn't that absolutely wonderful?"

Kagura, Sato and Mari, the most fragile girls in class, started crying and sobbing uncontrollably. Soon, many others joined in, including Asuka. There was no one calm in the entire class. But Mrs. Suzuki ignored all the pleas and screams, indifferent to them. She them said in a mocking, cruel tone:

"Don't worry, we've warned our parents. As you probably already know, the purpose of The Program is to prepare our youth and nation in case of an attack from our enemies, the United States of America. We cannot be weak or rebellious against our authorities, and therefore it is the government job to prepare the youth."

Sweating and frightened, although not crying, Misa stood up and asked:

"But Mrs. Suzuki isn't the Program supposed to always happen in a mixed class where there is an equal number of boys and girls?" – The reason no one never actually worried about The Program was because they never thought their class would be selected. It was a school only for girls. It could never happen there!

"Yes, darling."- Spat Mrs. Suzuki through her bright red lipstick- "But as you all know, our beloved leader passed away this year, and his wife took the power after him. Because now there's a woman controlling the country, we decided to use a class only of females, to show the men how we can fight for our ideals. See the bright side, sweethearts! Winning will be easier with less contestants and no strong men around!"

This answer did not convince anyone. What was the point of saying it would be easier, if they would kill each other in the end anyway? Mrs. Suzuki continued:

"We are not in an island this time. We are in the middle of a city, filled with houses, streets, alleys and stores. See how easier it got? Everything, except telephones, is available for use. We are in the neighborhood of Saitama, in the outskirts of town. All residents were forced to leave for The Program."

As the girls continued to cry and curse at an entity high above them for their misfortune, Mrs. Suzuki made a sign for the door and two heavily armed men came in, each one with a machine gun. She resumed her insane laughter:

"These men are here to secure that none of you will try to come back to the school. Once gone, there's no way back. If any of them finds you in the proximities of the school, BANG! - Mrs. Suzuki burst into laughter and the girls screamed as one of the guards shot upwards, to the ceiling of the class. "Also, there'll be danger zones, and the school will soon become one after the last student leaves. Every six hours, I'll announce the names of the students who perished and also the new danger zones. If any of you steps on them during the game, BOOM! and then everything will be over."

Asuka couldn't stop thinking about her own death. There was no hope at all. None. They couldn't escape, and the only way they would leave that place alive would be to kill everybody else. Asuka looked back at Kyoko, her best friend for years. She was crying as well. Mrs. Suzuki simply nodded her head. Asuka felt an extreme hatred towards Mrs. Suzuki, more than anything she felt in her life. How could she to that to all the girls? It was so unfair. She deserved to die. After Asuka's survival, she would flay that bitch alive, rip her into small pieces and dump the body into a polluted river. But to do that, she would have to kill her friends first…

"Now, as the most obvious rule – continued Mrs. Suzuki – all of you will wake up with a different weapon. It might be good or bad, it depends on your luck. If you receive a good weapon, congratulations. If you receive a bad one, don't worry. Just kill the girl who has a good weapon and take her weapon for yourself." – Mrs. Suzuki's smile was so sadistic she now seemed like a beast. "You'll all receive a map of the island, fresh water, and a first-aid kit. You don't need to worry about food as there's plenty of it in the several houses at your disposition. Now, let's move to the most important rule of all, shall we?" – Mrs. Suzuki wrote something on the black board as all girls were filled with panic. "Kill or be killed. This is the most important rule."

The two guards walked through the room and gave a small strip of paper to each girl. They both had luscious and evil looks, and it seemed like they were devils themselves. Mrs. Suzuki finally said something: "Now, I want all of you to write I Will Kill on your paper three times and then I'll start calling you leave the school according to your class number order. Show no mercy, my dears! Let's show the men that we might be the weaker sex, but we're not weak at all!"

Furious, burning inside and suffering, not wanting at all to do such a thing, Asuka wrote I Will Kill three times on the paper and then turned to face Kyoko. Both embraced each other and cried together. They would be together the entire time, and nothing would separate them. Around the two best friends for life, all the others were doing the same thing. Chitose and Yoriko promised each other to always walk together, in tears. Shizuko Honda tearfully embraced her friends, who touched her pregnant belly like if it was the last time. The three bitches of the class were surprisingly serious, and although Kumiko was abnormally calm one could see that Tomoko and Tsukiko were crying on each other's arms. Rin's group hugged each other, as well as the cousins Mari and Hisame Shikamoto. All the papers were collected by the men and then the first student was called.

"Girl number #1, Hisame Shikamoto." – announced Mrs. Suzuki.

It was only the beginning of a long, brutal and sad descent of the 3rd year A of the Tsuchihara All-Girls High School into the darkest depths of hell.


	4. I'll Wait for You

**Chapter 4**

**Chapter 4. Sorry I forgot to say it before, but I do own the characters for this story, but not the background/universe of it. Reviews would be much appreciated. I decided to start The Program slowly so that the readers could know more about the characters before the carnage. Battle Royale is not just blood and gore. Reviews would be much appreciated.**

The frightened, average-faced and short Hisame Shikamoto slowly stood up, sweating, and moved towards the classroom door. There, she took a quick glance at her weirdly blond-haired and blue-eyed cousin, Mari. The message was clear. Hisame wanted to say "I am going to wait for you.", but her voice couldn't come out. She was too scared. As she left the school, one of the guards gave her a duffel bag, with a weapon and food inside. Then Hisame left the school.

"Girl number #2, Kumiko Noma!" – screamed the malicious teacher.

Kumiko, the beautiful and frigid class bitch, who along with her friends had a really bad reputation, stood up. She seemed to be calm and reserved, not feeling any nervousness or fear. Kumiko was the total opposite of Hisame. She didn't even look back at her friends before leaving.

"Girl number #3, Chitose Higurashi!"

Chitose, the weak but loyal friend of Yoriko Shibasaki, also nervously stood up and looked back at her friend. She already knew they would wait for each other. While Yoriko was crying at the table, Chitose controlled her fear and left the school quietly. What an irony. The girl who looked like a 10-year old was not afraid, but the one who's athletic and strong was.

As the next girls were quickly being called, Asuka looked back at Kyoko, deep into her eyes, and said:

"When you leave the school, call my name." – Of course Asuka wasn't going to walk all by herself, and become an easy prey. She noticed that, with the exception of the poor Sato who did not have any friends, everybody else was going to ally with their closest group.

"I think we should call more people to go with us." – replied Kyoko.

"I don't t think it's a good idea. With the exception of Chitose and Yoriko, we are not actually friends with anybody else." – Asuka was right. She and Kyoko did not trust the other girl groups in class. Rin's group sometimes did mean things to other students and were always gossiping during class. Miki and Kageri were two snobs, manipulative and trendy. Girls like Aya Tsunaba or Mari Shikamoto were way too strange to be trusted. And of course they could never think of allying with Kumiko's group.

"Well, then we are in a lot of bad luck. Our friends and Misa, all of them leave the school before we do."- Kyoko lamented that bad coincidence as the other girls were called to leave. A hysterical Tomoko left the door shaking. Rin also looked back at her friends to say that she would wait. Kageri was screaming and desperate, and Sachiko just repeated Rin's gestures.

When Aya Tsunaba was called, she stood proudly and fearless, and as she received her bag, made the cross signal and prayed a little before leaving.

"We should talk to Yoriko and tell her to wait for us." – The idea was shining brightly through Kyoko's mind.

The girls looked to Yoriko's desk and gave up. It was way too far from where they were sitting, and if they stood up without having their name called they would be shot by the two guards. Besides, Yoriko was still crying, drowning in her own pain. She would not hear them.

After Hana Nozaki left, it was Misa's turn. Misa was nice to Asuka and Kyoko, but they did not know her enough to offer her their own backs. As she left, a guard, attracted by her sensual and feminine body, slapped her in the buttocks. All the girls held their breath. If Misa did anything to fight back, she would be shot. But the girl simply ignored the humiliation and kept walking forwards, slightly glaring at the guard with an angry expression. Soon after the fake-blonde Mari left, as scared and unconfident as her cousin, Asuka was called:

"Girl #13, Asuka Yamanaka!" – Asuka got up and stared gently at Kyoko.

"Don't worry, I'll wait." – Asuka could not hold her own fear or her trembling feet, as she walked away from the school and picked up her bag like a zombie. She also could not hide the single tear that dropped from her left eye. After Asuka left the school, she could not remember, for example, which color the walls of the hallway were. She wasn't looking at them.

Outside, the air was cold and threatening. After the school, there was a huge crossroad, with several options of streets to go. There were no street name signals, maybe because The Program coordinators wanted the girls to get lost and then run into each other, not knowing where they were going. Thankfully, Asuka found a large wooden box (maybe there was something inside), used for weapon trafficking, and decided to hide behind so that she would not be seen. She went over there and remained quiet.

From where she was, Asuka could not see her classmate's faces, but could still hear their voices. She recognized Sato's weeping, her annoying, baby like-voice; the same with Kagura Soga. But she could not hear anything from the others except their steps. Finally, Asuka heard a voice that filled her with happiness:

"Asuka?"- it was Kyoko. Asuka quickly came out of her hiding spot and hugged her best friend with all the strength she could. It was so great that there was nobody else there except for them!

They hugged for a while until they heard more steps coming out of the school. Both did not even look back to see who it was. Asuka just whispered in Kyoko's ear:

"Let's go before somebody sees us." – Then both started running west, through the dirty, poorly illuminated street, until they could not see the school anymore.

A few seconds later, Shizuko Honda left the school. She felt so much regret on not telling her two friends to wait for her. Now she was alone, and pregnant, which would make it much more difficult to survive. Then, an intense truth made Shizuko's blood run cold. What if her baby came out on the island? She was already nine months pregnant, and the doctor said it would be born really soon. During the labor, she would be completely defenseless. If at least Rena and Natsumi were there to help her…

Out of fear and curiosity, Shizuko decided to check her weapon to see what it was. She opened her bag and took the object out. Shizuko smiled with joy, because luck was on her side. Of course, she would not kill anybody, but at least a weapon like that would help her for self-defense. The pregnant girl started walking faster and went through a narrow street, trying to find her friends.

On her right hand, there was an Uzi machine gun.


	5. Dischord

**Chapter 5**

**Long chapter, tried to do my best with it. Would love some reviews!**

Tsukiko Amano, the last girl to leave the school on that night, was so confused that she did not even know where she was. No, it wasn't because she was selected to a game of death, or because she was without her friends. Pure and simple, Tsukiko did not have her heroin. And now abstinence was taking over.

The class bully faintly remembered Kumiko telling her and Tomoko to meet somewhere, in a certain direction. But Tsukiko wasn't sure where, she could not remember. All that mattered was her drug. If she stayed like that for a long time, Tsukiko would probably go insane and kill the first person she saw. But the girl still had some control over her instincts. She decided to go northwest, taking the empty road occupied only by small houses, which seemed to be old and decayed. Tsukiko walked to one of them and tried to open the door. It was locked. God, she couldn't stand a single more minute without her heroin, much less without a place to stay!

Then Tsukiko decided to look into her pocket, out of despair. And there it was: her syringe and her small heroin bag. Tsukiko should have found it to be very strange, giving the fact that she knew no personal objects would be taken into The Program. But she didn't care: Tsukiko slowly injected the drug into her right arm's vein, feeling guided by the pleasure and euphoria of the drug. Of course, it was useless to see that there was a huge black dot on her arm, a symbol of necrosis. Half-crazed, Tsukiko stormed down the street, until somebody near the closest street crossing caught her attention.

Tsukiko thought it at first to be another hallucination, but it wasn't: two people, Kumiko and Tomoko, were there waiting for her. As the bully came closer, Tomoko quickly noticed that she was drugged, by the enormous size of her dilated pupils. She asked:

"How did you get the heroin? All of my belongings were taken."

"I don't know."- Tsukiko answered with a crazy smile, not knowing if she should laugh or cry at that situation. – "I just found it in my pocket."

Kumiko Noma passively stared at the two as they talked, her two only friends. Analyzing them carefully.

"Hey, Kumiko-san, let's look in our bags to see what we've got." – Said Tomoko, and soon all three girls had their weapons at hand.

Of the three, Tsukiko was the luckiest: she got a large chainsaw, which miraculously was able to fit in her bag. Kumiko got a Derringer pistol, very small and weak for a gun, but perfect for female use. Tomoko was the most unlucky, getting a sharp drill as her weapon. It was actually good for hand to hand combat, and would also work in a surprise attack, but it was useless in case the enemy had a gun.

"Alright then." – mumbled Tsukiko, still extremely euphoric. – "We should look for a place to hide now. Walking on the streets with so many armed students around is dangerous, and we didn't get any awesome weapon. (Tsukiko was hoping to receive a machine or shot gun, of course).

As the girls tried to open several houses on that street, all of them being locked or so decayed it was useless to try to hide there, the small part of Tsukiko's brain that wasn't dominated by the drug thought about playing or not playing that game. Of course, the bully knew that there wasn't any chance for her to ally with anybody besides those two. The entire class hated her. Those bitches would meet their end at their group's hands, of course, especially that pathetic loser Sato Mizunoe. Tsukiko did not feel guilty for bullying the poor girl at all. After all, who told her to be so ugly, stupid and pathetic?

Tsukiko could not forget about Asuka Yamanaka and Misa Fujiwara, the two sluts who tried to ruin her fun earlier on that day. It was expected for Asuka to do that, after all ugly ducklings gather together, but Misa? Unacceptable. That girl was only a snob who would soon learn how to respect and obey the veterans (Tsukiko studied at Tsuchihara since first grade). Deep inside, Tsukiko felt jealous of Misa and also of her friend Kumiko. Tsukiko wasn't ugly, but also not pretty either. She was nothing compared to their angelic beauty. That was the reason she bullied Sato so much: she needed someone even uglier than her to forget her frustrations.

Only Tomoko's voice a few feet away broke the sound of turning doorknobs:

"Girls, I found it! There's a good house here!" – And then the other two joined her to investigate.

Tomoko was right. The house was of an average size, but well equipped, being previously used by a middle class family instead of the poor ones who lived down the street. The front door opened straight to the large, white kitchen, with a round table at the center and a staircase leading to the second floor. The girls took a look inside the fridge: it was filled with delicious food, and that house seemed to have all the resources they needed. Tomoko and Tsukiko started screaming loudly and running around, while Kumiko just stared at them, a grin smile on her face.

"Girls"- interrupted Kumiko with a smile – "go upstairs to check what we have there."

Kumiko could be quiet and seem like a shadow to the others, proud and distant. But she was the leader, after all, and only the tone of her voice and her eyes expressed everything she wanted. Tomoko and Tsukiko obeyed her without a single word. Kumiko was so cold she did not even kept looking at her friends while they headed upstairs, Tsukiko leaving her heroin on the blue tablecloth. Kumiko stared at the large clock on a wall, thinking.

"Yes… it's about time. Time to start this thing." – The class beauty whispered to herself, her eyes as sharp as a lynx and as cold as pure ice. Kumiko then went to the heroin bag on the table and put it inside Tomoko's duffel bag, shoving it deeply within the belongings so that no one could see it.

In another part of the neighborhood, Chitose Higurashi and Yoriko Shibasaki walked down a narrow path. That region of the city had almost no constructions at all, just some random stores, all of them closed down. The two friends, who always talked to each other on every possible situation, now walked side by side in awkward silence. On their hands, their weapons: Yoriko had a large wooden sickle, and Chitose, a nunchaku. Both were not very good weapons and the pair lamented their bad luck. But they had no choice but to keep moving forward, desperately looking for a place to hide. Dawn was already coming, and the sun was clearly visible. But it didn't feel safer. The Program had only started and now the rule was to kill or be killed.

Yoriko decided to say something just to break the silence.

"Chitose-chan, who do you think will play this thing?" – Yoriko had no idea of what she just said would mean to her friend. Instantly, Chitose started trembling and stopped walking. She seemed to be in fear, and Yoriko realized that she was sweating on the side of her face. Chitose had just remembered something she just wanted to forget.

"Chitose-chan, what's wrong?"

"I think… maybe Kumiko Noma will play." – Yoriko wasn't expecting for that answer. Sure, Kumiko was strange to say the least, but Yoriko would never associate someone so beautiful and un-aggressive with a monster who would kill it's own classmates. "Why?" was the only word Yoriko could answer.

"A week ago, during that really hard Maths exam, I did not study enough and decided to look at her test…. It was a quick glance…. I didn't know the answer…." – Yoriko raised her eyebrow, puzzled.

"She looked back at me with such a cold stare…. Those eyes… her eyes were so cold and piercing… it was scary." – Now Chitose sweated and trembled so much that it was obvious that she was saying the truth. "There's something really wrong about her, I can feel it." Yoriko did not know what to answer. She hated Kumiko, but for her nobody would play that game, not even Tsukiko, the class bully. Yoriko was still way too naïve.

Suddenly, a voice reached the girls. An annoying, baby-like, high pitched voice. It was Miki Nakayoshi, who, along with her friend Kageri, was the gossip queen of the class.

"Shibasaki-san! Higurashi-san! I'm so glad I found you, I was so scared!" – Miki started running towards the girls, her long ponytail shaking behind her. Miki ran so clumsily she almost seemed to be falling, and her pretty face did not seem to be sad at all, but rather threatening. A bit too threatening….

Yoriko quickly grabbed her sickle and, in a quick movement, pointed it at Miki's face, making the girl stop, surprised and scared at the same time. In Miki's hands, there was a large Bowie knife. No match for Yoriko's big sickle. "Why? What have I done?" – asked Miki, frightened.

"Miki, I don't want to hurt you."- said Yoriko in the most polite and gentle way as possible. – "But we are not friends and I don't know you well. If you want to go with us, prove first that you won't attack." – Drops of sweat ran through Yoriko's face. She wasn't angry or ready to kill, just scared. If Miki decided to stab her or Chitose, Yoriko wouldn't know what to do. She never used any kind of weapon before.

Miki took a deep breath and then answered. "Fine, then." – She said, dropping her knife on the floor. "I won't try to kill you, I just want to find my friend Kageri and get the hell out of here."

"OK." – Yoriko put her sickle down and the pair, now turned into a trio, kept on walking through the street. They were only a few blocks away from the school, too frightened to even look at the map to see their localization. At every single sound, the girls, especially Yoriko, stopped and listened attentively. Danger was all around them. Yoriko regretted having watched The Program on television once. She saw an image of a girl being brutally shot in the head. Her forehead was cracked open and her brain exploded. Yoriko saw it for only one second and then changed the channel. It was already too late. "Please God, don't make me have the same fate as that girl", thought the tall girl as she walked, sickle in hand.

The group finally reached a more open area that seemed like a small plaza. There was a water fountain at the center of it, and the trio stopped to rest for a while, sitting on the edge of the fountain. It was finally daytime. Again, the girls remained in silence, until Miki decided to break the ice by saying one of her nonsensical, hurtful sentences she said to others so many times.

"When I leave this damned island, the first thing I'll do is to fuck my boyfriend like I've never done before." – A promiscuous smile illuminated her pretty, long face. "What about you two, by the way? As I know, you should have gotten a boyfriend already. If you die here, you'll die as virgins." – Miki was sarcastic and also very spoiled. She loved to be mean to people behind their backs. Miki was very popular, but only in other classes, where other students did not have to endure her gossips and constant talking in class. On Yoriko and Chitose's eyes, Miki was just an idiot. But she didn't seem aggressive or someone who would actually play. The two friends decided to just ignore her.

Miki kept playing with her black ponytailed hair for a while, until she came back at full-speed. If there was something Miki could never tolerate, it was being ignored. She was the center of the world, everybody knew it. Those two losers would have to listen. "So…. Recently, I've been hearing from some people that you both decided to befriend that fatty, Sato Mizunoe… I don't have anything against it, but you know, some people say that you are the same thing as the people as you hang out with…" – mocked Miki, even more openly than before. This was when Chitose got enough of it.

"Miki, could you please stop being annoying and actually help us in something?" – The short girl ranted without even looking at her classmate. If Miki wanted a fight, then she would have it. After all, Chitose knew that Miki wouldn't have the balls to kill anyone.

Miki got up on her feet and started walking towards Chitose and Yoriko. The atmosphere around the fountain and the small plaza grew tenser.

"Look girl, nobody asked for your opinion, OK? If you like to hang out with a loser, than it's not my fa…"- she never got to finish the sentence.

"I'm warning you: leave this place right now." – Chitose now looked at Miki face to face. Yoriko wanted that awkward situation to stop at that exact moment. She did not want a confrontation, much less an useless death.

"Chitose, let's just stop right here. Let's not fight in a game where our objective is to kill each other. It's exactly what they want us to do." – Yoriko hoped that her friend would understand.

"Yes, Chitose, listen to your friend over there." – Miki continued instead, riding in Yoriko's words. – "You are making me angry, and you won't want to see it when I get angry."

"So what?"- Chitose was now furious. She wouldn't lose that easily to an idiot like Miki. During a very long time, she had to endure her classmate mocking her and her friends openly, gossiping about their lives, spreading rumors. Always in a group, of course. What a coward. "What are you gonna do now, Miki? Call Kageri to say mean things about me by cell phone? That bitch is so weak she's probably dead by now. And I'm sure you'll soon die as well." – Chitose calculated every single word she uttered to inflict as much pain as possible on the gossip queen.

"SHUT UP!" – The mention of her friend Kageri truly angered Miki. She took her knife out of her pocket and quickly ran towards Chitose, going for the kill. Who did that bitch thought she was? Let's see if she would say the same thing again with her throat slit. But Miki made a mistake: she forgot about Yoriko. In a desperate move to save her friend's life, the tall girl grabbed her sickle and quickly stabbed the side of Miki's neck.

"Aaack…" – mumbled Miki, horrified, as the warm red blood ran through her uniform and dripped onto the floor. Yoriko and Chitose were also terrified by that vision. They could not speak or close her eyes, fixed on the horror taking place in front of them.

Miki slowly pulled the sickle out of her neck, and tried to grab it. All she wanted, in the middle of the pain, was to stab Yoriko and kill her with it. But she was already too weak, turning white from the loss of blood. The removal of the sickle only made the bleeding worse. Now there was a puddle of red liquid on the stoned floor, and half of Miki's uniform was bright red, her blue skirt purple with blood. Some drops fell into the fountain's water, dying it. As life left her body along with the blood, Miki could only think about revenge and murder. But it was getting darker…darker….

When everything was over, Miki was lying near the fountain in a pool of her own blood, a single large cut on her neck. Her dead eyes deeply stared at Yoriko, who now screamed hysterically.

"No! No! Oh my God! No!" – Yoriko was now crying. Why did that had to happen? Why? Why? Who would think that it would be Yoriko the first one to play that game? Chitose was crying as well, deeply regretting the confrontation that started all of this. She could be dead, but the last thing she wanted to do was to cause a classmate to die.

The two girls heard steps coming to where they were. Chitose grabbed her friend's hand and started running to somewhere far, far away, where they could not feel the shadow of death hanging over them. They did not even pick up Miki's knife. There was no time.

Soon after the two friends disappeared, the cousins Hisame and Mari Shikamoto entered the plaza and screamed when seeing Miki's body. Mari quickly started sobbing on her cousin's shoulder. Hisame hated her cousin's fragility and tendency to cry, but she did not complain at that time. Seeing a dead body wasn't something that happened every day. The Program had finally begun.

Hisame grabbed Miki's Bowie on the floor and put it in her pocket. Now the cousins would have some chance in that game. Hisame had gotten a large ax, but Mari's weapon was as useless as the girl herself: a frying pan. The two went through a different direction than the one Chitose and Yoriko left by, trying not to look at the dead body a few feet behind them.

**Girl #16, Miki Nakayoshi- Dead**

**21 to go**


	6. Opposites

**Chapter 6**

**Sixth chapter, focused on character development. I would like to apologize of a plot hole I committed by mistake. In the first chapter, I said Shizuko was 6 months pregnant. Later, I said she was nine months, and the baby about to come out. I would like to apologize to everyone that got confused.**

Splendid, perfect, magnificent! – Kagura Soga now remembered these words like if they had been said yesterday. In the middle of all the sadness and suffering for being in The Program, her frightened mind was trying to find an island of light, a good memory, so it would not fall into insanity. It had succeeded.

Kagura now remembered the day when her chorus class teacher praised her unique voice and excellent singing abilities. It was during an individual exam, where each student sang an entire song all by herself. The teacher's name was Mr. Sakai, an old man who played little of piano, and also did not sing well. But he could recognize a talent after seeing one, finding it in Kagura. The ugly, fragile girl had a beautiful first-grade soprano singing voice, doing many solos and standing out on every class. Her friend Rin Tosaba, whom Kagura secretly envied, was a painfully mediocre contralto and was well aware of it. _She might be more popular than me _– wandered Kagura in her own thoughts. – _But I've got something she'll never have. A singing voice. _A smile grew on Kagura's face, in the middle of The Program.

Right in front of Kagura, all the other girls in Rin's group were walking together, and talking loudly about their plans to escape. Except Kagura, who, as usual, was a few steps behind them, all alone. As Kagura listened, she thought: _Can't you girls understand that the louder you speak, the bigger are your chances of dying here? – _She didn't dare to say it out loud, though.

Rin, as usual, was the one who was talking the most. "Girls, don't matter what you think, do not leave this group. We should never separate." – Rin deserved her position as the leader of the group. She was the one with the most initiative in everything. Maybe that's why she was so popular and loved. "_I wish I was also like this." – _thought Kagura.

Around Rin, the other girls were desperate. Hana Nozaki couldn't stop crying on her friend's shoulder, but Sachiko Kirihara and Hitomi Nara still had some self control. "I'm glad our class has no boys." – said Hitomi all of a sudden. – "If one of them who decided to play attacked us, we would probably get raped." – The girls developed nasty looks upon hearing this, except Kagura. After all, no boy would want to rape an unattractive girl like her. She would just get instantly killed.

The mention of the word "boys" made Hana cry even louder. "What's wrong?"- Rin asked her friend. "It's that boy I have a crush on, Rin. Koichi. I'll never see him again in my life." – Rin was immediately touched by her words. She would also do anything to see Shuya, her boyfriend, again. Taking Hana's pain for herself, Rin tried to console her friend.

"Look, Hana, you'll not die. None of us will. I'm sure there's a way to escape this place. We just need to get together in a comfortable place and think about it. We will find a way to turn off these stupid collars and then Koichi will instantly fall for you as soon as he sees you." – These words made Kagura think about her life at school. Did she have anything, _anything, _which she wanted to see again? Well, besides the chorus classes with Mr. Sakai, not much. It has been only one year since Kagura came to Tsuchihara, and most of this year was made of bullying and suffering. Kagura suffered at the hands of Kumiko's group, until Rin opened up to her and decided to be her friend. It wasn't enough for Kagura.

"Thanks." – Hana now felt better and did not cry course, Kagura was sure that Rin was lying, a white lie made for her friend's comfort. There was no way to escape that place. "_She probably wants to win the game herself." _Kagura was not grateful to Rin for befriending her. All she felt was jealously of the girl. Kagura was jealous because Rin had many true friends. Jealous because she had a boyfriend. Jealous because she could do pretty much everything right. Except singing.

"Hey girls! Look over there!" - Sachiko Kirihara, her small eyes hidden behind her glasses, pointed at a tall building at the end of that street. "It's a building! We can hide in one of the apartments!" Hiding in a house was good, but in an apartment was much better. From there, a student could have a better view of the surroundings from above, and it was also much more difficult to break into an apartment than into a house. The attacker wouldn't manage to go up the place without being noticed and shot.

"Well, it'll be a good place to practice target shooting. You know, just in case." – said Rin. Another thing Kagura envied in Rin was her luck. Rin received one of the best weapons of the game, a shotgun. According to the girl herself, she would only use it in cases of "extreme emergency". "_The emergency you'll feel to eliminate your friends when you decide you do not want them anymore."- _Kagura knew Rin would probably kill her when she had the chance. Who would want a girl like Kagura in the group? She would only delay the others. As the other girls were quickly heading towards the building, Kagura decided to stay back and look into her bag to see what her weapon was.

Opening her bag, Kagura saw a large syringe, and also a small jar containing some liquid. It was written on the label: POTASSIUM CYANIDE. Something deep inside Kagura seemed to awake. Kagura smiled. There were so many things she could do with it. So many….. _Splendid. Perfect. Magnificent._

Meanwhile, Chitose and Yoriko quickly ran from the plaza were they were and now headed blindly through the streets and blocks. Fear was in front and behind them. Now their chances of surviving were destroyed. If the people who walked into the plaza saw them along with Miki's body, no one would trust them anymore. They would both die the next time any other classmate saw them.

Finally, the two friends got tired and stopped running in fear. They found a small, dark alley and decided to rest there, where no one would see them. As soon as Yoriko went into the alley, the angst and sorrow she was holding up inside her flowed out like a river. She knelt near the wall, on a semi-fetal position, and started crying over Miki's death. Chitose stared at her with pity. But she needed to console her friend somehow. Gently touching Yoriko's hair, Chitose said:

"Yoriko…. Don't cry….. Don't cry, girl, it wasn't your fault…."- Chitose actually believed in what she was saying. It wasn't Yoriko's fault. Miki started it, and Chitose was stupid, deciding to go with it instead of just walking away. Yoriko was just trying to protect her.

It didn't work. Filled with grief and rage, Yoriko cried for several minutes, each time louder than before. She didn't care if an attacker was nearby, because her death would be deserved. She killed someone. She didn't want to, but she killed. And now she couldn't go back on time, couldn't just stop that moment from happening. Chitose embraced her friend and kept repeating:

"Yoriko, it's fine, she came first, it's not your fault, it's her fault, don't torture yourself like this..."

"Leave me alone!"- screamed Yoriko, and pushed her friend against the alley's wall. Chitose fell on the floor, slightly hurt. _"Fine." – _Thought the short girl, - _"If it can't work by the easy way, then I'll use the hardest."_

"Yoriko."- Softly said Chitose for a moment. As soon as Yoriko turned her head to face her, Chitose slapped her friend's left cheek as hard as she could, causing a red mark to appear. Yoriko shrieked in pain but instantly got quiet. She would never imagine that Chitose would actually hit her.

"Listen to me."- Chitose was now extremely serious, like a teacher. "Listen to me, girl. It wasn't your fault, OK? It. Wasn't. Your. Fault. If you had not killed her right there, she would have killed me. I would be dead. In the end, you would kill her anyway, out of revenge. You saved me. Be proud of it!" – Yoriko started to smile a little. _"This is the Chitose I know. Brave. Decisive. Impulsive. But also kind and a great friend. She just wants me to do well." – _forgetting about the death of Miki, Yoriko got closer to Chitose and hugged her as hard as she could. Yoriko started crying again. It was time to apologize.

"I'm sorry, Chitose, so sorry…. I never wanted to hit you. I'm just weak, that's it. Just weak…" – Yoriko knew that she was weak since the day she met Chitose. That small girl was the one who always protected Yoriko, although everybody else thought it was the opposite. Despite her tall and strong appearance and her attachment to sports, Yoriko had the heart of a princess. She hated seeing blood and violence, and never solved her problems by fighting. Chitose, on the other hand, was fierce and strong-willed. She never lowered herself to anyone, and always wanted to win. Nothing someone would expect to see in a girl who looked like a child and did not play any sports.

And yet, the two had managed to be friends for life. Since their first day together at Tsuchihara. With time, Yoriko started to comprehend the reason why: they complemented one another. If Chitose died in that Program, Yoriko would lose half of herself.

"It's OK, Yori. I forgive you. Now let's find Asuka and Kyoko." – Chitose smiled as she pulled Yoriko out of the alley and went for the sunlight. Yes, they would survive, unite more people, and then find out a way to get out of there. The darkness were lifted from Yoriko's mind, a spark of light illuminated it: her friend still trusted in her. Nothing else mattered in the world. The two inseparable friends started walking through the street again. Not in silence anymore.

They still did not know the nature of The Program.


	7. Chaos

**Chapter 7**

Sato Mizunoe stormed through the abandoned avenue, panting and sweating.

"Oh My God, I'm going to die here! They are all going to kill me! I'm going to die!" – Sato could not stop thinking about her own death. How would she die in that Program? Would she get shot or stabbed? Would her collar get detonated? Sato could not know. She could only know two things: the first thing was that she was going to die for sure. The second was that she didn't want to.

Yes, Sato couldn't deny her life at school was a living hell. She actually felt peaceful and normal during classes, but as soon as the teacher left or the school day was over, Tsukiko would come to ruin her happiness. How much she hated that girl! She and all of her friends. Since the first day Sato got into Tsuchihara, and that was two years ago, Tsukiko could not spend a single day without humiliating Sato. Tsukiko threw paper on her during class, stole her lunch money, and constantly teased her for her glasses, acne and general ugliness.

"_Why? Why she does this to me? I've never been mean to her, not even once!" – _Sato was crying now. Being sixteen and without any friends or love interests, Sato knew she was quickly losing her youth and teenage hood. When she became an adult, her memories of what most people call "the best years of your life" would be only of bullying, sorrow and humiliation. Would she ever get married one day? Sato seriously doubted it. She was sure she was going to die a virgin; after all she would have only a few hours or minutes left to live, anyway.

"_Tsukiko will kill me for sure. The others are no better. All of them…. Always standing around, ignoring me, doing nothing to help me… yes, they are all rotten inside. They are all monsters." – _There were some people Sato admired in her class, such as Kyoko Tachibana or Rin Tosaba. Deep inside, Sato wished she had the same luck as Kagura Soga, who got rid of the bullying by becoming friends with Rin. _"Yes. Even she managed to do that: to make friends and get popular. And I… I can't …." –_ Sato couldn't see what was ahead of her, because of the tears covering her eyesight.

Suddenly, Sato tripped on something hard and pointed, on the middle of the street. A jolt of pain went through her right foot, and her body instantly fell to the avenue's floor. Sato was lucky that her glasses did not break. "_How unlucky I am. Even this stone on the floor is trying to kill me"_. Sato's own feelings were screaming against her now. They were saying that she was ugly and unworthy, and would never survive there. Unless… unless…

Sato then saw her weapon, which was on her right hand the entire time but she never got to notice it. It was a Walter PPK pistol. Sato didn't know anything about guns, but it was obvious that that weapon was powerful and could kill many people. Including Tsukiko.

"_Yes… yes… she's going to die here… before she kills me, I'm going to kill her… her and everybody I see. They deserve it. Yes! Yes! I'm gonna see my family again! Because they'll all be dead!" – _As Sato's sanity vanished from her mind, the overweight girl got up slowly, ignoring the pain on her foot. Then she looked around. What a beautiful day it was. Perfect for revenge.

But before Sato could initiate her killing spree, she saw something in the sky. Something small and beautiful. A bird. A blue bird. And it was flying away, because it had wings. Sato did not have any wings, she was still in the cage. But now the poor girl wished for the bird to come down and carry her on its wings. And then to take Sato to a place far, far away, away from that game, away from Tsukiko, where she could be happy and alive.

Running wildly while holding the pistol, Sato started shaking her arms above her head, hoping the bird would notice her. She screamed:

"Please, please!" – Sato started crying again. "Please, take me away with you! Take me with you! Take me away!"

* * *

><p>It was already a little past 9 am when the effects of the heroin abstinence started to affect Tsukiko again. After years of use, the bully already memorized the sequence of problems the lack of heroin put her into: an abnormal sense of heat, followed by disorientation, and then by pain on her stomach and soon on her entire body. After a while, she would lose her sanity and go nuts. The final stage happened only once before, on a day when Tsukiko was coming back home in the middle of the night. She saw an old lady with a purse filled with money and jewelry (at least that was what Tsukiko believed she saw), and then pulled it. When the granny pulled the purse back, Tsukiko punched her and then started kicking the woman until she fainted and stopped moving. Tsukiko then took the purse for herself.<p>

"Fuck"- said Tsukiko to her friend, Tomoko, who was right in front of her, on the opposite bed. "It's coming again."

"Are you sure? Isn't it just the weather? I'm feeling a bit hot too, and I'm not using any drugs." – Out of the three girls in Kumiko's gang, Tomoko was the least cruel and delinquent. She did not use drugs, was still a virgin, and only bullied Sato occasionally. However, Tomoko had seen her friend getting high enough times to know what happened to her. In the end, Tsukiko always got much more aggressive, hitting the first thing she saw until she got her heroin back. It was better not to go against her, but Tomoko had to be sure of the cause first.

"Of course, silly. I know the difference since three years ago."

"Ok, I just asked because I was worried." – Tomoko actually WAS worried. "Have you ever thought of stopping it? I mean, using drugs, all of them? "

"Hmm? What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Before you started taking this thing, you were my best friend." – Tomoko smiled, remembering the times the duo spent together. "But afterwards, you changed. You started being with her more than with me." – Tsukiko breathed sadly. Tsukiko was much more close to Kumiko than with her now. The reason why Tomoko decided to become friends with Kumiko as well was not to lose her most dear friend. It did not seem to be working.

"Well, maybe it's because she's cool, and you are not. Wake up, girl. Good girls have no chance in this world. I'm the proof of it." – Tsukiko had not always been the way she was. Before Kumiko transferred into Tsuchihara, three years ago, the bully was an introverted girl who always got good grades. Tomoko was her only friend. Tsukiko's parents were recently divorced, and her life seemed boring and monotone. She wanted to kiss and sleep with a boy, to go to parties every night, to enjoy her life more. Her mother's pressure for grades and good behavior were a burden for her. She felt castrated.

Then Kumiko came into her life, turning it upside down. The beautiful, cold girl made her lose her virginity with an older man she met in a club, and soon after offered her heroin. Tsukiko instantly got addicted and knew that she would never get rid of it. When her money to buy drugs got short, Tsukiko started to prostitute herself, guided by Kumiko, of course. She even got her belly button pierced. Tsukiko could still remember the day her mother found out about it all. The older woman was crying in the living room, and after her daughter came down to see what it was the woman proceeded to beat Tsukiko up with a wooden stick. The bully still had some bruises on her back. They both never talked to each other again, because now they were living in the same house, but in different worlds.

"I preferred it when you were a good girl." – Tomoko was now looking at the window. Would things ever go back to what they were?

"Forget it then." – Tsukiko now seemed to be angry. "She's my best friend now, whether you want it or not. If you don't like it, then fuck off. Go befriend that loser, Sato, if you want to have another friend. But remember I'll start bullying you as well. – Tomoko kept looking at the window while Tsukiko felt a sudden pain on her stomach. It was the lack of the drug, coming at full force. "Fuck, I need that shit badly." – cussed the delinquent girl.

Kumiko's voice came from the kitchen and echoed through the stairs, until both girls could clearly hear it. It was breakfast time. Breakfast for Tsukiko meant drugs, of course, but that was another story.

"Time for breakfast! Come down here, both of you!" – Kumiko seemed slightly threatening with her voice tone, but none of the girls noticed.

"I'm coming!" – Tsukiko ran through the small white staircase and into the kitchen, hoping to find her heroin bag on the table. Instead, there were three plates of bread and eggs, and some juice. But the drug was nowhere to be seen.

Puzzled, Tsukiko asked her friend, as the pain on her stomach got bigger and bigger:

"Kumiko-san, where did you put my heroin?"

"Heroin? What are you talking about? I know you like drugging yourself, but I did not see anything here." – answered Kumiko, as coldly and emotionless as always.

"It… it can't be possible! It needs to be somewhere!" – The pain got increased. – "Are you sure you did not see it? I remember I put it on the table, at the center of it!"

"Look, I'm sure I did not see anything. Why don't you go check it in your bag? Maybe it's hidden there."

"Alright. I'll check… I'll check." – Sweat started to drip from Tsukiko's face. She knew that she could not live without her heroin. Without giving a damn about how a lady should behave, the girl quickly got on her fours and started looking for her drug under the table and on the floor. Meanwhile, Tomoko went downstairs, scared of what was about to happen. If Tsukiko did not find her drug very, very soon, everything could happen. Besides, they were in The Program now… no, better not to think about it.

"Crap! I can't find it anywhere!" – Tsukiko kept looking for it on the floor, but she knew it would be useless. The desperate girl got up and started looking for her precious in her duffel bag, shoving several objects, like her first aid-kit and her food, out of it and onto the floor. Nothing. There was nothing there. Sweat kept dripping through her face, washing it.

Tomoko decided to help her friend. She dashed to the kitchen area where Tsukiko was standing and yelled:

"Tsukiko let me help you!"

"SHUT UP!" – screamed the bully, pushing Tomoko to the floor. The weaker girl's eyes watered in pain. She couldn't believe that her only real friend was doing that to her. Tomoko could now see the bubbles forming inside Tsukiko's mouth. The symbol of insanity.

Without asking for permission, Tsukiko started searching inside Kumiko's bag. Again, nothing. She then quickly ran to Tomoko's bag and ravaged it, throwing everything she could see out of reach while Tomoko watched in terror. Then she stopped it. Tsukiko raised her right hand high, showing her heroin bag. The symbol of the crime.

Tomoko had never been so scared in her entire life. Tsukiko's eyes were not human anymore, but a monster's. A wounded lion, a violent bear, an angry serpent. And they were fixed on Tomoko. After a few seconds that seemed like an eternity, Tsukiko opened her mouth and screamed at the top of her lungs:

"Tomoko, what the fuck is this thing doing in your bag?" – Tsukiko's anger moved towards the heavens, her pain was increasing. She was feeling her breath quicken, her vision redden. Her entire body was in pain, burning. And yet she couldn't just take the drug and forgive Tomoko. That bitch would pay for stealing from her.

"It wasn't me! I did not put it in!" – Tomoko could only say these short sentences before Tsukiko ran towards her and punched her in the nose. The pain was horrible, and Tomoko's nose got red and some blood started coming out of it. Tsukiko was a strong girl, and Tomoko was now terrified.

"Fuck you! I should have known you were worth shit! I was your friend during several years and this is how you repay me! You don't deserve to survive this game!" – Tsukiko was yelling so loudly that the noise could be heard one block away from the house.

The mention of The Program made Tomoko cry even harder. Yes, this is how it would end. She would die there, killed by her own best friend. And Kumiko… wait, why was Kumiko smiling? Tomoko thought about it for a moment, but quickly forgot it. Her own life was at risk and that was what mattered.

Tomoko ran and grabbed her drill on the floor, at the same time Tsukiko grabbed her chainsaw. Both girls turned their weapons on, and buzzing sounds echoed through the room. Only one of them would leave that place alive, they both knew it. It was friend against friend now. But while Tomoko's facial expression was of pure grief and sadness, Tsukiko's was horrifically angry and mad. She was the one who was ready to kill.

Tsukiko invested first with her chainsaw, and Tomoko tried to shield the bigger weapon with the drill. It was useless. The chainsaw merely scrapped the drill and sent it flying away from Tomoko's hand, until it hit a point on the floor where she could never reach it on time. In tears, Tomoko looked at her former friend's face and eyes: what happened? What made her become like that? Who, who was behind it all? Those were the last thoughts she would think in her life.

"Die bitch!" - Tsukiko swung the chainsaw's blade again, this time sideways, and it started cutting through Tomoko's skin. Tomoko never felt so much pain before. It was unrelenting, brutal, and inescapable. Blood started dripping from the wound, wetting the floor and Tomoko's legs. But it was only the beginning. Tsukiko kept cutting the chainsaw through Tomoko, now destroying her flesh and making the girl scream in pain.

"AAAARRRRGGGHHHHH!" – Tomoko could only scream as pain invaded her body and her warm, red blood flooded her clothes and the saw. In instants, both Tomoko and Tsukiko were two red creatures, along with all the space around them. Tomoko's internal organs were now visible and exposed, falling on the floor along with the blood. Tomoko could feel the pain disappearing, along with all the sensations in her body. She was about to die, and her eyes only registered red and Kumiko's devilish smile on the background, like a picture of Hell. As Tsukiko kept cutting and cutting, Tomoko's body was split in two, and now the entire kitchen floor was nothing but a sea of red blood.

Finally, the chainsaw finished the cut, and Tomoko's body fell on the floor, head and chest first and then her legs. Tomoko was already dead, the pain being lifted from her as the world ceased to exist. Her face registered an expression of pure terror and pain.

"Now Tsukiko! Get the drug on the floor! Get the drug on the floor!" – screamed Kumiko.

Tsukiko was now a savage. With her clothes filled with blood, messy hair and face, and mad eyes, she seemed more like Leather face than with a Tsuchihara student. Pain was on her entire body, abstinence concealed. Tsukiko did not feel any remorse over the death of her friend. She wasn't thinking anymore. All she wanted was her precious…. Pain, _pain_…

Tsukiko crawled forwards on the blood like an animal, heading towards her heroin bag. Then she heard the noise of a gunshot, and the pain on her body was entirely replaced by an agonizing pain on her head. Instantly it was over. Everything. The drug, Tomoko, her life…. It was all darkness now.

Kumiko held her Derringer pistol proudly, looking at the two bodies on the floor. Tsukiko fell over Tomoko's body and now seemed to embrace it, completely still. The back of her head was horrendously open, with a huge hole caved in it and pieces of her brain clearly visible through rough it. Blood gushed out of the wound and stained the floor under Tsukiko's head. The only one left alive in that room was Kumiko, who wasn't even dirty with blood.

Kumiko walked through the blood in an extremely slow and creepy way, and held Tsukiko's heroin bag. She then threw it in the kitchen's trash can, because it meant nothing for her. Slowly heading towards the garden, the beautiful girl only said only two sentences to the corpses:

"Goodbye, both of you. We've never been friends."

**Girl #4, Tomoko Kobi- Dead**

**Girl # 22, Tsukiko Amano- Dead**

**19 to go**


	8. Blue Bird

**Chapter 8**

Asuka and Kyoko arrived at the market square a little bit past 10:00 am. Since they found each other outside of the school, the two girls spent the entire time looking for a place to stay and walking through the deserted streets, without meeting anyone. They were lucky their class was relatively small, with only 22 people. The more people there were, smaller would be their chances of surviving until the end. They were well-armed, just in case: Asuka had received a .38 Glock pistol, and Kyoko got one of the strangest weapons in the game: a flamethrower. It was actually a good weapon, as it could burn an opponent down in single second.

"Let's rest here for a while. I'm really tired." – whispered Asuka under her breath. The girls spent the entire time so far without eating anything, water being the only thing keeping them able to stand on their feet. It was an extremely hot day, and sweat dripped over the two friend's bodies. Yet, they had managed to frantically walk nonstop through more than three hours. They haven't found any good place: it seemed as if the vast majority of the houses were locked or barreled, along with the stores. The Program organizers probably wanted the students to struggle to find a house, so that the majority would end up confrontating each other on the streets.

"Alright, Asuka." – The pair got closer to the plaza, and now they could clearly see a fountain at the center of it, gracefully throwing water on the air. If the girls were not in The Program, the first thing they would do would be jump into the fountain and bathe in it. But the elegant school uniforms were the only clothes they had.

"I wish Nobuo was here…" – Kyoko had no choice but to start bawling. She would actually love to be with her boyfriend again, the handsome and one year older guy that was simply perfect for her. She wondered what would be like to swim in that fountain with him and Asuka, and then forget about The Program, forget about everything. Shame things had turned out that way, but Kyoko was still very hopeful. She and Asuka would escape with more people, then they would become a famous classical music band, and years later they would overthrow that monstrous government. But it was only dreams. Reality came fast, laying only a few steps in front of Asuka and Kyoko, in the form of Miki Nakayoshi's dead body.

"AAARRGGHH"- Asuka screamed at the top of her lungs when first seeing the body. Miki was clearly dead, with a large stabbing mark on her neck and a pool of bright red blood all around her. Her face was extremely pale and her eyes were twisted with fear. Both girls had never seen a body in their lives, so for them the impact was huge. Asuka started crying and kneeling to the ground, while Kyoko held her and cried as well. They did not really believe that some people WOULD play that game. It seemed that their class wasn't that innocent and fragile, even though it was made only by girls.

"Where…. Where is her weapon?" – questioned Asuka, crying. The person who killed Miki took her weapon away. Who could that be? Miki wasn't a very likeable girl, but wasn't actually hated by the class like Kumiko Noma's gang was. There were no specific grudges against her, or even reasons for her death. _Perhaps, _Kyoko thought, _this game does not need reasons. People kill only for pleasure. _Kyoko tried to stop thinking about the brutality of the human nature. It was too depressing.

"We can't stay here much longer, Asuka. The person who killed her is probably nearby, waiting to make another victim." – A wave of fear went through their bodies. If someone attacked them, at least one would die. Asuka and Kyoko were not killers, much less aggressive or knew how to fight. One shot and it would be over for at least one of them. And without the other… everything would fall apart for the remaining one, everything.

"Ok. Let's g…"- Asuka's eyes were illuminated as she saw an open store on the other side of the plaza. It was small and hidden, but she was sure that it was open. The plate on the front side of the place said: "Noodle Mania- Everything you can eat!" – Both girls loved noodles, and would actually start killing to get to eat that.

"Let's get a little and then we go. I can't stand being hungry anymore." – said Asuka with the most joy she could muster after seeing a dead body. She started running towards the noodle shop, while Kyoko ran behind her. For Kyoko, there was something really wrong there. They had just seen someone dead, and were worried about attackers nearby. All of a sudden, they see a good place to eat. Was it some sort of joke? It was way too good to be true. Butterflies flew through Kyoko's stomach. What if someone was waiting for them there?

Kyoko's thoughts were answered with a bang.

"GET DOWN!"- Kyoko screamed, as she pulled her friend to the floor with all her strength. The bullet shot at medium range narrowly missed Asuka's head and hit a wall in the back of the shop instead. Kyoko, still lying on the floor, instinctively looked over her shoulder to see who had shot. And the person who was playing that game was exactly the person she could never imagine would play.

It was Sato Mizunoe. The fat, glass-eyed girl was clearly out of her mind. Her face was red with anger and madness, and there were marks of tears near her eyes. She was mumbling some sentences incorrectly while pointing her Walter PPK at them. How could Kyoko never think that the bullied, overlooked girl would want revenge against her classmates? Anyway, she tried to stop Sato by trying to help her:

"Sato, don't worry! We're not your enemies! We want to help you to escape this island with us! Don't shoot, please!" – Kyoko yelled and begged. The beautiful, popular girl was now lowering herself to a level of inferiority , lower than the class outcast.

"Stop… lying!" – Sato screamed, and then fired another shot again. The ugly girl had never used a gun before, so aiming wasn't easy for her. The bullet hit the wall several feet next to the girls. At that range, it would probably take a while until Sato finally managed to fatally shoot them, but Kyoko was determined not to wait. She would try to convince Sato not to shoot once more, before taking Asuka's hand and running away. Killing Sato was out of question.

"Sato." – Kyoko spoke in a quieter and gentler tone- "Sato, I understand what you are going through. I know how you feel. You were bullied a lot in school, and now you want to take revenge. You have this right. But it doesn't mean that you can take someone's life. It's not like that. Stop it right now and we'll try to…"

A third shot went through the air, and Kyoko felt like her right arm was on fire. She howled in pain as her arm bled and Kyoko screamed. Killed by Sato Mizunoe. It was the least possible way to die in that Program, and yet it was going to happen. Asuka Yamanaka and Kyoko Tachibana, cause of death: shot down by the class outcast. Kyoko's cries were suddenly broken by Sato's angry voice.

"Shut up! Shut the fuck up! What do you know about me? Nothing! You were always pretty and popular, you'll never understand me, none of you will!" – Sato started crying again, washing her glasses and face with tears. Instead of calming her down, Kyoko only made her angrier. "You deserve to die, all of you! You never helped me, never!"

"Sato… please… forgive me… I'm sorry" – Kyoko cried in the middle of her own pain, as the red mark on her coat got bigger. Yes, what Sato said was true. Kyoko always thought that Sato was too shy to enjoy meeting people, but in reality all the ugly girl really wanted was a friend. If she had opened up to Sato or went against Kumiko's gang at least once, this would not be happening. Such a shame.

Meanwhile, Sato took a few steps closer to the pair. It would be one bullet for each one, to lose the smallest amount of bullets as possible. "_Shoot to kill, in the middle of the eyes, and then you'll see your family again." – _Sato pointed her Walter PPK at Kyoko, ready to shoot.

But she did not count with Asuka. The weaker member of the two had long recovered from the shock of being thrown to the ground quickly, and was playing unconscious. At first, she doubted about shooting Sato, but seeing what happened to Kyoko, Asuka now knew how dangerous not defending yourself was in that Program. She would NOT end like Miki. _"No, not like her. We'll make it through the end." _With these words in mind, Asuka lifted her right arm, raising her Glock, and shot Sato square in the foot.

* * *

><p>"AAAARRGGHHH"- The fat girl screamed in pain as blood erupted from her left foot and she fell backwards on the floor. The bullet she aimed for Kyoko hit nothing but air. As Sato fell, she couldn't believe in what had just happened. She did not see the shot coming, it was way too fast. Revenge wasn't going to be easy, after all.<p>

"I'm sorry, Sato."- said Asuka, before grabbing Kyoko by the shoulder and running away, stopping for a while to get some noodles in the shop. Sato tried to stand up, but she could not. The pain was too big and the shot was spot-on. It would be hard to walk from now on. But Sato wasn't stupid. She knew that if she just remained lying down there, she would die from blood loss, or someone would come attracted by the gunshots and finish her off. The girl needed to act, fast.

Grunting with pain as she crawled to the nearest wall, Sato struggled to stand up, looking at the blood freely flowing from her wounded foot. The girl had some experience with medicine (her father was a doctor), so she already knew what she had to do. Without hesitating, Sato cleaned the wound with an antiseptic rag in order to purify it, and then pressed on it until the blood coagulated. It did not hit any arteries, thankfully. Finally, Sato grabbed a band-aid and covered the wound with it. The pain was smaller and it was possible to walk, but there was still a lot of difficulty in moving the left foot.

"_This is the worst day of my life"- _thought Sato as she turned a corner and kept on walking slowly through the street. If she could not kill Asuka and Kyoko, then she would have no chances against Tsukiko and her friends. Sato decided to abandon the revenge plan. It was pointless. All she wanted now was to survive as much as possible, although she knew that she would die sooner or later.

After walking for a very long time through a street filled with small houses, Sato finally found one that had the door wide open. Meanwhile, the pain on her left foot was getting bigger, as she shouldn't have exercised a wounded member. But Sato didn't care. If she stood in the same place for a long time, she would be killed. Thinking only about her own death, Sato took a step inside the house and looked into the kitchen.

Nothing in this world could prepare her for what she saw.

Two girls were dead at the center of the kitchen. One of them was lying in the middle of litters of blood, with her body split in half. Her intestines and other organs were around her, her long hair red with blood. The other dead girl was on top of her, with a hole in the back of her head and a puddle of blood underneath it.

Sato couldn't take it anymore. First Miki, and now those two? For a moment, the class outcast saw herself as one of the dead girls. She ran out of the house and vomited all of her lunch from the previous day on the floor. That was a nightmare, a nightmare. Sato was about to run away, but something led her back to the house. She started to piece together the girl's faces with her own memories. Could they be… them?

Sato's predictions came true as soon as she saw the bodies in the kitchen again. Yes, there they were. Tomoko Kobi and Tsukiko Amano, the girls who ruined Sato's life and stepped on her dreams. Both of them were equally dead and bloodied, like two slaughtered pigs. A wave of joy and happiness penetrated Sato's body. Finally, it happened. They were dead and she was free. Sato would kill them, but someone else did the act first. The door of the birdcage was open. She could finally fly.

"Who is the pig now? Who?" – screamed Sato as she ran up to the bodies and started stepping and kicking them with anger. Those bitches deserved everything they got. Sato turned Tsukiko's face towards her, which appeared to be laughing and in pain at the same time, and spat on it. But Sato stopped as soon as she heard steps coming from the garden, on the other side of the house.

"_Shit. There's someone else in here!"- _The other girl who was coming probably heard her screams and came for the kill. A buzzing sound filled the air. It was the noise of a chainsaw being turned on. Sato stepped back in fear, sweat wetting her shirt. Kumiko Noma came into the kitchen, pointing the bloodied chainsaw at Sato. Her eyes were as cold as a hawk's, and she was feeling pleasure with Sato's fear.

"Die, ugly."- said Kumiko, and started running towards Sato with the chainsaw over her head.

Being fat and having her left foot hit by a bullet, Sato would never be faster than Kumiko. But out of desperation and pure fear, for a few moments she was. The outcast quickly ran to the top of the stairs, ignoring the pain on her left foot. She tripped once, but quickly put herself together and kept running, never looking back. The chainsaws's blade was only a few inches behind her, and yet Sato managed to open the bathroom's door (almost getting sliced in the process), close it before Kumiko could enter and lock herself in.

But Kumiko did not give up. As Sato cried and screamed, curled on a fetal position, Kumiko's chainsaw started cutting the door, sending pieces of wood everywhere. It was only a matter of seconds before she managed to open a hole big enough to come in.

"_Mom, dad, I'm sorry, so sorry, I failed with both of you, I was never the daughter you wanted to have."- _Sato was crying as she thought about her family. "_I'll never have sex, graduate, or even kiss. I'm going to die without having lived." _– Sato couldn't stop remembering her memories with her family, her failed tries to get closer with boys, always ending with rejections, and all the bullying and humiliation she went through. Her life had been meaningless and empty.

Kumiko's chainsaw was now opening a second line on the door, with no effort at all.

For a very brief period, Sato remembered that she could use her Walter PPK to shoot Kumiko dead. But she was too scared for it; her hands were trembling with fear. And after failing miserably to hit several shots against Asuka and Kyoko, Sato didn't trust her aim anymore. It could delay her death, but not stop it.

Then the fat girl remembered something. Something good.

It was the song she started listening to about a year ago, everytime she felt sad or unhappy. She heard every day, after being bullied at school. And this song filled her with hope, hope that one day she would get a better life and stop suffering. The song was _Somewhere Over The Rainbow, _by Judy Garland.

A square started to appear on the door, and the buzzing sound became bigger. It wouldn't be long before Sato was dead.

The class outcast remembered the bird she saw on the street about an hour ago, the beautiful, blue bird that could fly to anyplace. She remembered how she wanted to be him, to be able to fly. No wonder her favorite verses of the song were:_ Somwhere Over the Rainbow/ Bluebirds fly/ If they fly over the rainbow/ so why, then o why, can't I?" _

Yes, she could still be free. Sato knew that she would die, but not on Kumiko's terms. There was still something that she could do, something to free herself from the birdcage and start flying the distance. The girl stood up and faced the door. Yes, she wouldn't die that way. She could still take control of her own life, could still defeat the ones who tormented her.

Raising her Walter PPK to her head, Sato smiled and laughed at destiny's face for the first and last time as she pulled the trigger.

* * *

><p>"BAAAANNG!"- The gunshot was heard in the entire neighborhood. Kumiko instantly stopped cutting the door and even jumped backwards, thinking the shot was aimed at her. When she quickly realized what happened, the beautiful girl put her hand inside the hole and unlocked the door from the inside.<p>

Sato was lying face down on the bathroom floor, clearly dead. Brain and blood stained the left wall grotesquely, and more blood flew through the side of the girl's head. Sato had killed herself.

"_Crap. Couldn't kill her." – _It did not matter much for Kumiko after a few seconds, after all Sato was dead anyway. For Kumiko, the other girls in the class were nothing but bugs and dolls, that she could use and then break when she wanted to. That doll broke herself before Kumiko could do it, but there were still many others in that small district.

Kumiko analyzed the body more closely. For a very strange reason, Sato was smiling and seemed to be happy. But Kumiko remained indifferent, grabbing the girl's Walter PPK along with her bag and walking downstairs.

On the bathroom window, the same beautiful blue bird Sato saw was now flying through the sky. Finally free.

**Girl #18 Sato Mizunoe- Dead**

**18 to go**


	9. Conflicts

**Chapter 9**

**Nine chapter already! It goes fast, it seems. A quick warning for future chapters: do not expect any direct flashbacks, as there won't be any. There'll be sections with the characters remembering memories, but not of actual separate flashbacks, much like in the original novel. Please review my chapters! I would love to know what you guys think of my story.**

Rena Kuroda and Natsumi Moriguchi sat together on the wild grass.

According to the map, Shizuko Honda's best friends were now at zone D-7, near the district's center. (The map was divided between letter A to letter H and number 1 to number 10). Unlike the urbanized areas from the rest of the city, that one was grassy, clearly a park. It had an average size, with some benches, a small playground on the right and lots of fruit trees. The two friends were lucky that it was summer: thanks to all the fruits they collected from the trees, the pair did not feel hungry at all.

"Sitting here in peace while eating an apple is almost making me forget that we are in The Program." – said Rena, the taller and slightly prettier girl, her dark eyes shining with pleasure.

"You should better be careful then. I have the GPS tracker, but nothing will work out if you are not ready for a fight." – Answered Natsumi, her long pigtails shaking in the air. A GPS was a very good "weapon", for obvious reasons. However, it didn't work for a combat: if they were attacked, only Rena's Browning Hi-Power pistol would save their lives. Natsumi had taken a heavy wooden stick as her weapon, just in case.

"Natsumi, you know that I won't have the balls to do it." – answered Rena. At school, both girls and Shizuko were known as the class "neutrals". They were not popular but also not bullied, were not invited to all parties, and did not have friends outside of the group of tree. Their grades were decent and their love lives only generated additions to the gossip mill occasionally. In other words, Rena wasn't exactly the type of person to stand up and shoot someone in the head.

"Well, you will have to, unfortunately. I also do not want to do that, but you know what happened the last few times some people tried to escape this game: they all failed and died. So or we kill, or we hide, or we die." – Natsumi was an extremely funny girl, but at that moment she was surprisingly very serious. Being funny and happy all the times wasn't an easy job in The Program.

"Yeah…" – Rena mourned lowly. "I'm just… worried a lot about her."

Both girls silenced themselves. Without them, Shizuko wouldn't have many chances of surviving long enough until her friends could find her. Shizuko was, out of the tree, the most fragile and non-aggressive. Besides, she was pregnant and couldn't run much. It would be easy for an attacker to shoot her down or slice her throat.

"I told her that guy was no good." – Natsumi broke the silence, clearly indignated by what happened. Yes, she was still friends with Shizuko, but would never forget her friends' irresponsibility. Shizuko had decided to go out with a guy she barely knew, and after getting pregnant because she forgot to ask him to wear a condom, she simply dropped the problem into her friend's hands. It was selfish, to say the least.

"Natsumi-chan, she was in love. Who are we to judge her?" – Rena knew well about doing crazy things for love. When she was in fifth grade, Rena reached the point of falling over a small wall in order to attract her crush's attention. But every child in love does that, right? What Shizuko did to them was much, much worse.

"I know. It just pissed me off, that's all." – The pair had only seem the father of Shizuko's baby once, and did not even know his name. They met him during a weekend like any other else, when the three best friends went to a karaoke to have some fun singing. They spotted a boy their age in the crowd who was clearly impressed by their vocals. He was quite attractive, but Rena and Natsumi didn't see anything special on him. Shizuko, though, fell in love at first sight. Shortly after she sneaked next to the guy to talk to him, and from then on Shizuko started ignoring both of her friends to be with her new boyfriend the entire time. She almost missed Natsumi's birthday party, for example. When Shizuko and her boyfriend finally decided to have sex, Rena and Natsumi only came to know of the incident because of a text message saying "We did it."

"Let's forget about it, girl. It doesn't matter. If we can't forgive her for liking him more than us, then she'll be alone in The Program and die for sure." – Rena tried to cheer her friend up. Of course she also got angry at Shizuko, but during the nine months of her pregnancy they had all made up with each other. Natsumi still had a small grudge though, which Rena suspected it was actually envy for Shizuko, who found a boyfriend while Natsumi was now single for a very long time.

"Yeah…"- Natsumi burst into tears. "In the beginning… I thought nobody would play. I mean, we are just a bunch of teenage girls who never used weapons before. But now, after hearing those gunshots, I'm not sure anymore." – An hour ago, the two best girls heard around two gunshots, coming from the south. It was followed by another one sometime later. Thankfully, Natsumi's GPS did not identify anybody, but it was a clear sign that the game had started.

"Look, Natsumi"- Rena cupped Natsumi's round face in her hands. –"We are not going to die, OK? I know that in the previous editions, the winner is not always the one who kills the most. I promise you we'll stay alive for at least a long time without having to kill each other." – And then Rena hugged her friend. For a while, The Program ceased to exist.

That was, until they heard a beeping sound coming from Natsumi's GPS.

"Who?"- exclaimed Rena, her eyes opening wide with shock as the beeping noise increased and the small red dot on the GPS screen got closer and closer. She instantly released Natsumi and pointed her gun, without any specific target, to the area behind her back. She did not see anyone, though.

"Who's there? Stop moving or I'll shoot!" – Rena was now sweating as Natsumi looked around with frightened eyes.

"Hello."- A slightly familiar voice reached them, and the two friends turned their heads to the direction of the sound. Standing in a clearance, with a katana in her right hand, the person was one of the strangest girls in class, Aya Tsunaba.

* * *

><p>Misa Fujiwara wrapped her right hand on her sweaty forehead, cleaning the dirt. "<em>Why do the school uniforms require us to wear these coats?" – <em>It was a very hot day, and everything Misa wanted was to wear sporty clothes, much like the ones she wore in gym practices when she was still in Osaka. Of course, it was impossible in The Program, unless she found a good house with plenty of soft clothing in the closet.

That was another problem. Right now, Misa was on zone H-3, on the south bottom of Saitama. A few more steps south and her collar would explode for escaping the delimited area. Misa was well aware of it (as a good observer, she was basically aware of everything around her), but what really got the beautiful girl worried was the fact that there were no houses in the area. The southwestern zone of the district was, for the lack of better words, a commercial place. No chances of finding a house there, much less an open one. But hope is always the last one to die, so Misa still kept searching for a good place.

"_It's just so… quiet. I might be the only one near this place, after all." – _There was nothing in this world that Misa enjoyed more than peace and tranquility. Being born and growing up in the countryside, she was not used to living in a large city. When she was outside in the busy streets of Tokyo, Misa couldn't stand the high-pitched noises, the always shining neon lights, and the feeling of being watched by others all the time. _"When I leave this place, the first thing I'll ask to the government will be to move back to Osaka."_

She finally started thinking about what she never wanted to think of: The Program. Misa was sure that she would not play; it was against her moral codes to do so. Her weapon, a large brick, wasn't much of a help, unless she decided to throw it on someone's head. However, Misa couldn't think of anybody to ally herself with, either. Not that she was shy and uncharismatic, but simple because she was new. No one was friends with her yet, and even though she asked Kyoko to hang out for a weekend, Misa knew that it wasn't enough. "_I don't think anybody would really trust me. I don't like most of the girls in this class, and I'm sure some of them already dislike me." – _thought the beautiful teenager with a sad smile.

Misa had been at Tsuchihara for a very short time, but it was enough for her to feel antipathy towards many classmates. Some, like Miki Nakayoshi and Kageri Shouzaku, placed themselves at the center of the world whenever they could. Others, like Mari Shikamoto or Aya Tsunaba, always seemed like there was something wrong with them. And of course Misa could not forget about Kumiko Noma and her gang, especially Tsukiko Amano. "_If there's anyone I think I would kill without hesitation, then it would be her."_ – Misa would later regret thinking that.

Misa recalled the incident with Sato Mizunoe in the locker on, during the previous day. Despite her beauty, Misa had never been popular, so she understood how Sato felt. If there was one type of people Misa really despised, it was school bullies. For her, bullying should be criminalized as soon as possible. But of course it would never happen, because the government wanted all teenagers to be violent so that they would kill in The Program.

Trying to put her thoughts on stand-by, Misa continued to walk through the streets of Saitama. She had eaten some bread with ham she took from a bakery store earlier, so hunger wasn't the best word to describe her. Realizing that she would never find a good place to stay or even to eat something else in that area, the girl from Osaka turned her feet backwards and started walking back to where she came from. Misa could have stayed there longer, just thinking about what to do, but she didn't. It wasn't time for that: in The Program, it was necessary to stop thinking and start acting.

* * *

><p>Mari and Hisame Shikamoto spent the entire time since finding Miki's body walking aimlessly through the city, without knowing where to go. During all of this time, Mari constantly reminded Hisame about how much they were unlucky and were going to die for sure, how much this wouldn't have happened if they were in America, and how much the sun was making her tired.<p>

Hisame hated this, but what could she do? Mari was not only her cousin, but also the only person she could call a friend. Being impatient and stubborn, Hisame had the reputation of being bitchy and aggressive, making people never want to talk to her twice. Besides, she wasn't that sure about her own physical abilities. Hisame had received an axe as her weapon, but wasn't sure if she could lift it on time to attack an opponent. Both she and her cousin did not do any sports at school and, especially Mari, had little physical strength. Teamwork was fundamental, then.

"I think we are going to die by being shot in the head. Or maybe we'll find a way to escape but the government will kill us both. What do you think, Hisame?" – asked Mari, always pessimistic to the core. If Hisame had decided to leave her alone when she left the school, Mari would have probably killed herself.

"If you keep whining like this, then we are really going to die. If you want to survive, please shut up and look for a good place." – Rudely answered Hisame.

"Hisame-chan, you are so mean to me! Stop, please!" – Mari started crying, her natural reaction for everything that threatened her. The false blonde was as fragile as a bird, and had a very, very low self esteem. No matter how many times Hisame told her that she was pretty, Mari always answered that she was not. Because of her dark hair and eyes, the same characteristics that Hisame felt proud in having.

"OK, I promise you I won't get angry anymore. But we are fighting for our lives, honey. Just put yourself together and we'll make it out alive somehow, alright?" – if Mari did not stop whining and complaining so much, Hisame was seriously thinking about abandoning her cousin at her own luck. She didn't have anything to lose with that, after all Mari's weapon was just a frying pan.

"…Alright. I'll try."- Mari kept crying and mumbling under her breath, but at least she stopped saying her bad omens out loud, much to her cousin's delight. Right now the girls were on a rather decrepit area of Saitama, and according to the map, on zone B-9, near the end of the territory limits. If they kept going north for a while, the cousins would reach an abandoned hotel, described as "Kazukawa Inn" in the map.

"Hisame, wait!"- screamed Mari, many steps behind her cousin. Hisame thought it was something serious and turned her head. It was nothing especial, just one of Mari's blue eye lenses had fallen on the floor and she came to pick it up. Having blue eyes was Mari's dream, and even though she knew that she could never reach it, the wannabe American still tried her best. Hisame thought that her cousin's fixation with American looks was overly exaggerated and ridiculous. Sure, men prefer blondes and white girls, but this is because this is the standard of beauty they see in the media since the day they are born. Hisame, although not beautiful by a large chance, did not think her skin/hair/eye color were the root of all of her problems, thankfully.

After walking for twenty more minutes, during which Mari broke her promise and started annoying Hisame again, the two girls reached the hotel. It was small and a bit old, but still seemed to be functioning well before the district was evacuated. Its two stores were painted yellow and the place had a very rustic atmosphere. Besides, the front gate was open and the cousins easily got in the courtyard.

Shame the front door was locked.

"_Damn. We walked like crazy for several hours and this is what we get." – _thought Hisame, drowning in her bad luck.

"I told you, cousin! We're going to die, see? They are going to kill us, and if they don't, we'll die from starvation!" – Mari started again, dropping all of her hopelessness and weakness out of her mouth.

"O, shut up, please."- Hisame was starting to get annoyed, her natural impatience taking over. "Just stop being so weak and useless and come to help me with something. We can break the window with rocks, see?" – Hisame went to a small garden on the left side of the hotel, grabbed a small stone and threw it on the left window. It quickly shattered, and Hisame couldn't help but to smile. She was stronger than she thought, after all.

"Alright, Mari, we it made in." – Mari was crying again, but Hisame did not care anymore. "Now let's get in and see what this place has in store for us."

Soon after Hisame finished her sentence, the midday announcement started.


	10. Grief

**Chapter 10**

**10th chapter , focused on character development. I'm sorry that the carnage seems to be slowing down, but my objective is making my readers getting to known all the girls and what they are doing before they are gone. Please review!**

Mrs. Suzki's voice, more artificial and high-pitched than ever, rose from the loud speakers and was heard in the entire island.

"Hello, my beautiful ladies!" – She giggled a little before continuing- "Are you all still alive to hear me? Well, I don't think so, because there are some fresh deaths on our list! Congratulations, princesses! I thought girls would take longer to play, but it seems you are defying my expectations! So far, there have been four kills, something that would be little in a bigger class, but in a small one I think I can call it a fresh start." – Mrs. Suzuki raised her voice and started to announce the dead.

"First, we have Girl #16, Miki Nakayoshi, who should have learned that The Program is not like high school and so you can't be mean to everyone and get away with it. Shame on you, Miki. Next, we have Girl #4 Tomoko Kobi, followed by Girl #22, Tsukiko Amano. The two should have known not to trust anyone, and the killer did a great job with acting and provoking chaos. Well done! Finally, we had the disappointing death of Girl #18, Sato Mizunoe, by suicide. I'm not sorry at all for you, Sato, because in this game, only the losers and the weak kill themselves. It's running away from the battle, and you should all know it." – The teacher grunted angrily, and then resumed her speech:

"Now, to the danger zones. Soon after this announcement is over, zone F-3, where the fountain area is localized, will become a danger zone. At 1 pm, zone B-2 will follow, and then zone G-7 at 3 pm and zone C-1 at 5 pm. That's all girls. Please do not let the body count drop by the next announcement. Keep killing and then you'll go home! Just think about it!" – And then she stopped talking, ending the first announcement.

* * *

><p>Kageri Shouzaku heard the announcement first with her eyes opened wide, and then with them filled with tears. She did not annotate the danger zones or cross out the names of the dead. She could just think about her good friend Miki, whose face she now remembered with powerful sorrow. Kageri did not know who died after her friend, and did not care. For a while, she also lost her sense of direction and started walking blindly through the street, her feet taking her around all by themselves. Until she got tired and, curled to a ball, started weeping on the dirty floor.<p>

"_Why her? It's so unfair. Why her? She never harmed anyone!"-_ if Kageri was not friends with Miki, she would have noticed that her friend had indeed harmed many, many people. And Kageri usually helped her, just for fun. High school is not fun without some classmates to kneel by your feet right? Kageri and Miki did not care much because, after all, they were not on the same level of their classmates, but in a much, much higher position. Therefore, for being superior, with their beauty, money and success among men, they also had the obligation to be perfect. Kageri's nickname in class was _Miss. perfect, _and rightfully so. For the tall, doll-faced and large busted teenager, having a perfect life was actually her reason for befriending Miki and already having five or six boyfriends. What is of live without perfect friends, perfect parties, and most of all, perfect looks?

However, everything seemed to fall apart with Miki dead. Of course, all the other Neanderthal girls in her class found Kageri to be a snobbish, spoiled backstabber. But who said their opinion mattered? After all, Kageri had Miki by her side to cover her up, maybe because she was a very weak girl when it came to fighting, and gossiping alone would lead her to get punched in the face.

As her tears slowly dried themselves, Kageri took a quick look at her right hand, where nothing less than an AutoMag .44 pistol stood. Kageri did not known that much about firearms, but just by looking at the caliber number she knew she had an extremely effective pistol in her hands, capable of killing someone with a shot to the leg. Yes, all of the ugly, wormy girls in that classroom would feel that gun's barrel, sooner or later. They killed Miki, a superior being, so now it was time for an even better one like Kageri to take her revenge. A revenge as beautiful as her skin and as soft as her hair.

"_I have nothing to lose now. My best friend was taken away from me, so now it seems I don't have anyone to spare."- _Kageri was going to kill Miki in the end, of course, when only the two of them remained in that horrible city. Only one can survive, and the world would lose a delightful and beautiful person if Kageri bit the dust. It was the survival of the fittest, a law of nature.

"The spider is coming, sweet flies…"- said Kageri with a devious smile, before she started laughing hysterically, grinning her teeth at the sky.

* * *

><p>Asuka and Kyoko stood still, unable to move, while the announcement lasted. Seconds after it was over, those same eyes became filled with water. Yes, they already knew Miki was dead, and a part of them thought that Tomoko and Tsukiko's death was well deserved. But Sato too? She might have tried to kill them, but she was just scared, like everyone who suffered bullying at school became in The Program. The worst thing was that she killed herself. Her pain was too much for her to bear.<p>

"She told me… when we met her…" – Kyoko was crying much more than Asuka. She saw Sato's face before her death. – "…that because I'm beautiful and popular, I would never understand how she felt. At first I thought she was wrong, but now…. God, what a terrible sorrow she must have faced!" – Inside Kyoko's brain, there was only one sentence: _It was your entire fault. _These words were repeated like a mantra, crushing Kyoko's heart at every time.

"Kyoko, I'm sorry."- Asuka touched her friend's bandage wrapped arm and looked at her in the eyes. "I shouldn't have shot her."

"Don't say that." – answered Kyoko while the tears fell. "You had no other choice. It was me who refused to help her, because I'm a coward. I thought I was better than her, deep inside, I did." – Kyoko closed her eyes while Asuka hugged her, trying to erase her grief. It was useless. "And now… what did I get with that attitude? A shot in the arm that hurts even more now, and one more classmate went to her grave. I feel like a monster, like someone that does not deserve to live. If I decided to take your gun and shoot myself in the head right now, would it make this pain go away?" – as Kyoko buried her face on Asuka's lap, she seemed much, much shorter than her. Small and fragile.

"Look at me. Just look at me." – Asuka gently touched Kyoko's face and talked to her gently. "Don't think it was your fault. I understand her too. If I was bullied like her, I think I would have done the same." – Asuka was a girl who wasn't very good at finding boyfriends, or even getting her homework done in one night. But there was something at which she was better than all the other girls: the magical art of speaking.

"I am much guiltier than you are. And yet, I don't think I should kill myself as well. If she did that, it was because she couldn't find any hope. But we can't do the same. We've got to be stronger, Kyoko, stronger than that. It's the only way for us to survive. If you kill yourself, you'll lose me, and I'll lose you. Everyone will lose the game." – Kyoko's tears started drying and now she simply looked confused.

"So do not cry over her death, because she wouldn't want that. I know she would never really want to harm someone, not even Kumiko and her friends. Just remember her while you are alive. Don't forget her." – Asuka's mother was a majored psychologist, and when the girl was seven and her grandmother died of cancer, her mother told her to remember her grandma with happiness, thinking only about the good things. Because while others still remember us, we are still alive through then.

"Thank you." – Kyoko started crying again, tears mixed with joy and laughter. "Thank you!" – And then she hugged Asuka. It was so good to have friend, so good to have somebody to hug when you need it. If only Sato had that…

"Ouch…" – Kyoko's arm started to hurt again. On the place where they were , on zone F-5, there was no risk of danger zones, and so the girls had spent a long time resting and treating Kyoko's bullet wound. Asuka had tried everything: she did a tourniquet with her red school coat (leaving it to dry on the sun a few feet away from them), then purified the wound with water and made Kyoko drink a lot of it, and now only half of their water supply remained. Asuka also took some alcohol from that restaurant, during the hurry to escape. There was little risk of infection or death, as thankfully the bullet was slightly superficial and did not hit any major arteries. Of course, Kyoko would get scarred in the arm for the rest of her life, but she did not seem to mind.

Worried about her friend's wound, Asuka lifted the bandage in order to see what was happening. It was bleeding again, something maybe triggered by Kyoko's emotional state. Asuka put more alcohol in, before it dried after a while. She tried to help her friend.

"Kyoko... If you calm yourself down, this will not happen again." – Kyoko got angry rarely, but when she did, it was a mess. She had some trouble in controlling her emotions, and once almost broke up with Koichi because she suspected he was cheating on her. In the middle of a shopping center. It was a mistake, as he was completely innocent. From them on, the girl promised not to let it happen again.

"I'm Ok; it doesn't hurt that much now." – She decided to ask a question. "By the way, Asuka, how did you get such precise aim? I mean, you have never used a gun before, have you?"

"When I was younger, my dad took me to hunt deer's sometimes. He always wanted to do this with a son, but he never had one, so he took me instead. I'm a bit used to violence, but not against human beings, of course." – If there was something Asuka would never come to have in her life, it was a good sense of humor.

"Oh really? That's interesting. I think I love animals more than people, in the end. " – The guilt over Sato's death was still haunting Kyoko. – I mean, I would never shoot any living creature down. That's why I decided to be a vegetarian."

"To be honest with you" – answered Asuka –"I hated it all, at first. But I realized that I couldn't just refuse. My dad would feel very lonely without anybody in the family to be his company, when he wanted to do things girls never want to do." – Asuka had come from a house dominated by women. Besides herself and her mother, there were also two sisters, one older and one younger. However, Asuka enjoyed being with her dad more, as her mom was always busy with her job and seemed to favor her sisters over her. Asuka would never forget the day when only her dad went to her music recital at school, while her mother was out working. Yet, when her sisters had something special, Asuka's mom was always there, making her middle daughter green with envy.

"Well, if it wasn't for him…" – Kyoko shivered. "I would be dead by now. Thank your dad when you get back home, for saving my life." – Yes, Kyoko knew that saying that was the same as condemning herself to death. But the last thing she wanted to think about was her own reaction when seeing Asuka's dead body.

"Talking about going back home" – continued Asuka, worried about her other friends. "We have to find Chitose and Yoriko as soon as possible. I have a bad feeling about the two if they remain alone." – She gave her hand to Kyoko and helped her stand up.

"Alright. Let's go." – The two best friends for life started walking towards the south. Exactly the opposite direction from where their friends were.

* * *

><p>The beautiful melody of <em>Lascia Ch'io Pianga, <em>by Handel, filled the entire large, beautifully decorated living room. It was clearly played by someone with talent, someone named Shizuko Honda. It was her favorite song, the one she always listened to when her parents were fighting against each other. Unlike pretty much all of her classmates, who only listened to Japanese pop singers, (although the lyrics of their songs were always made by the government as a way of preserving the good costumes in the youth and keeping them from rebelling) Shizuko loved classical music since she was little. And she was not only a talented pianist, but also a good singer as well.

At that particular moment, the pregnant girl did not feel much sadness, but rather worry. She wasn't attached to any of the dead to cry a lot for them, but was attached to Rena Kuroda and Natsumi Moriguchi well enough to fear for her deaths. She had already thought of making a smoke signal in order to attract the two to the manor, but it was too dangerous: what if the person who killed three classmates came there, attracted by the smoke?

"_In any case…" – _she took a deep breath. "_I've got this Uzi to protect myself."_ Shizuko had gotten very lucky so far. Besides getting an Uzi as her weapon (maybe the Program coordinators wanted to make things easier for her because she was pregnant), Shizuko also found one of the best places in Saitama to hide in. It was the Kagurazaka mansion, a large and rich house localized on zone G-4. It had belonged to the family of a rich technology producer, who unfortunately had to oppose the government. He got executed a few months before that game started, and his wife, son and daughter were now imprisoned. Shizuko couldn't help but tearing up when seeing the beautiful portrait on the opposite wall, which depicted the happy and smiling rich family. They seemed to be so close to each other, so united. Shizuko wished her own family was like that.

"_If it wasn't for my parents, I wouldn't be pregnant right now." – _The pregnant girl thought about her own family. She didn't have the best one in the world. Both her father and her mother had the unpleasant habit of ignoring their daughter, more worried about their own problems. They were always fighting for very silly reasons, many times resulting in violence. Shizuko remembered a day, not that long ago, when her parents found out that she was pregnant. Instead of reprimanding her for it, they locked themselves in their bedroom and got in a fight that lasted the entire night, over who was to blame for their daughter's pregnancy. While it ensued, Shizuko herself was also locked in her bedroom, listening to _Lascia Ch'io Pianga _andcrying on her bed. When she said "Good morning" to her parents the next day, her mother had a parted lip and a purple eye, and her dad, several scratch marks on his face.

Shizuko wondered if her parents ever loved each other once. She wondered if love actually existed. After falling in love herself and getting pregnant, Shizuko thought she had actually found the guy of her dreams. And after he abandoned her brutally, she stopped believing again. It was just another illusion, like the one her parents had fallen to on their wedding day.

Worrying about her own safety, Shizuko got up from the piano and walked to the beautiful red curtain in front of the window. It wasn't a day to kill someone, much less to kill an entire class. It was sunny outside, and Shizuko had never seen a garden as beautiful as the manor's. But after hearing about four deaths, all the care in the world meant nothing. She pointed her Uzi outside of the window and looked around.

"_Go for the legs. If someone who's not your friend or points the gun at you gets closer, shoot them in the leg."_ – Shizuko knew she did not have an aim that precise, but it was worth a try. She wasn't going to kill by any means. Most people believe that being raised in a violent environment makes you violent yourself, but it wasn't true. Shizuko wasn't like that, and the one in the group who usually took part in fights was Rena Kuroda, although she wasn't exactly good at it.

"_Well, it seems that the coast is clear." – _putting the Uzi on the ground, Shizuko went back to the piano and started playing her favorite song all over again, trying to forget about the deaths, about her dysfunctional family, about everything.


	11. True Friendship

**Chapter 11**

**First of all, I would like to thank the user Terryllennium for the constructive review he gave me. I promise I'll pay attention to everything that you wrote. In this chapter, some connections with the original appear, with the inclusion of events I do not own. (This story is set five years after the original). I created a poll on my profile, and would love to receive some votes. Please review.**

"_Friends. What are they? People I'm supposed to spend my entire life with or merely the ones who will temporarily help me? Everybody says that it's impossible to be happy without friends, and they're right. I wish I had a good friend, but would she really like me? Would she want something from me, in exchange for being friends with her? Probably. It would be so awesome if I could read minds. I would then know what they think of me, and if they are really my friends or not. I would probably get disappointed, because nobody likes me. People are like this, they only care about themselves. They use their friends for their own self-advantage, to get more popular, to feel accepted. The popular girls are always the worst, always the most selfish. They pick an unpopular girl and then abuse her, make her their slave. And when this girl is not useful anymore or refuses to obey, the popular girls just get rid of her, and find another one. Like what Rin does to me every day. There are no real friends in this world. Yeah. Who needs friends, in the end? Friends are useless."_

"Kagura, are you alright?" – asked Sachiko Kirihara from behind her glasses, abruptly interrupting Kagura's internal monologue.

"What…?" – Kagura Soga raised her head and looked at her "friend". She had been talking to herself for five minutes, or even more. For a while, she came to forget that she was sitting on a sofa.

"If there's something bothering you, tell me. Don't hide anything." – Sachiko's calm and reasonable face was now filled with worry. She couldn't hear what Kagura said because it was too low, but she was sure that it wasn't something good. "We're all in this game together. If you think you are going to die, and you are not, by the way, just tell me what you're feeling. Secrets are only going to bring us apart from each other."

"Y…yes." – Kagura lowered her head again, avoiding Sachiko's gaze. She was not going to tell the truth, not by any chance. If Sachiko knew that Kagura was planning the death of all the other girls, she would tell Rin and her friends, and then they would quickly kill Kagura. Out of all the people in Rin's group, Sachiko was the one Kagura was most attached to. She seemed to actually care for her, instead of just tolerating her presence in the group as a matter of pity.

"Kagura, you are not the only one."- continued Sachiko. – "You need to know one thing: I'm just as scared as you are. I might seem like I'm not taking this game seriously, but I'm actually terrified. You're not alone, girl. We are all fighting for the same survival. Don't be afraid to talk to us. After all, we are all friends." – Sachiko was a model student with very high grades in all subjects, and yet no one would ever call her a nerd. She had friends, was involved in several school activities, and was elected class representative for the high school freshmen year. Her acting skills were a joy to watch in the school plays, and her appearance destroyed the popular belief that people who wear glasses glasses cannot be beautiful. Kagura had recently lost count of how many times she had asked for Sachiko's help while studying for a hard exam.

"_I'm sorry Sachiko. I have to lie to you, I don't have another choice." – _Of course Kagura did not say what she was thinking. She was too cowardly for it. "Sachiko, what is the point of saying that we are all fighting for the same survival, if only one of us is going to remain in the end?" – Kagura turned her head away from her friend, from her only real friend. She did not want to see Sachiko's reaction.

"Don't say that." – Sachiko got nervous and started to blush. – "Rin's smart and is going to find out about a way of escaping this district very soon. Besides, we can survive for a long time in these apartments."

"_Rin…always Rin… always her…" – _Kagura did not want to kill Sachiko, but she would have no mercy towards Rin Tosaba, Hitomi Nara and Hana Nozaki, the three popular girls who treated her like a pet. Although she never watched The Program on television before, Kagura knew enough about it to be sure that big groups like that one always had it's members turning against each other. Sooner or later. Those were usually the best moments in The Program, when the audience cheered and clapped after watching a bloodbath on TV. Kagura would need to accelerate the process, destroying her friends trust on each other, and then get ready for the explosion.

Sachiko was right about one thing, though. The apartments were a great place, for the ones who wanted to live. Localized on zone C-5, the tall building had five floors, and Rin's group was occupying the apartment number 405. The place had one bedroom for two people (where Kagura would spend the night with Sachiko) and another one for three people (occupied by Rin, Hana and Hitomi). Also, there was a large living room containing many sofas and tables, a kitchen, one bathroom and several Japanese doors. In other words, people who came there would have a good time, as long as they could trust and get well with one another.

"It's already lunchtime, Kagura. Come eat lunch with me." – interlacing her right hand with Kagura's, Sachiko took her unhappy friend to the kitchen table and made her sit down. Both did not know how to cook, but it did not matter, because Hana and Hitomi were cooking for them. The two popular students were gossiping about boys while they cooked, and seemed to be having fun. Suddenly, Hana exhibited her newly manicured, red fingernails to her friend. A long session of beauty compliments ensued.

"_Pitiful. We are in a life or death situation as long as we are here, and they are talking about their fingernails. What did I see in these people?" – _Kagura's anger towards the girls slowly started coming back. Those two were so voluble and empty-headed (for Kagura) that she was starting to regret wanting to be their friend once. _"There's no true friendship among teenage girls. They only want to get more attention. It seems that I was right." – _continued the group's ugly duckling, filled with rage.

"The lunch is served, ladies!"- yelled Hana while playfully playing with her braided hair and serving the food. Hitomi followed her, doing the same. While Sachiko smiled beautifully, Kagura was trying to fake one. The food was certainly delicious, fried chicken with rice and baked potatoes. After looking at the lunch, Kagura couldn't stop thinking about poisoning it. But she knew that it would be useless. She would not be able to put poison on Sachiko's food because she liked her. After all the others were dead, Kagura would be the only one left for her friend to blame and kill, out of mad revenge. To do the job right, Kagura would have to make them kill each other somehow.

"Kagura, come on, try to smile! We're not in such a bad situation; it's obvious that we'll be the last ones standing!" – Hitomi sat next to Kagura and started eating, forgetting about her shortly afterwards and talking to Hana instead. Kagura tried not to laugh. Was Hitomi so stupid to forget that she would have to kill? Kagura doubted that any of those girls would have the balls to kill someone. As she started eating the first potato, Hitomi's words remained in her head as Kagura politely thought back:

"_You're wrong, Hitomi. I'm going to be the last one standing, and you'll bite the dust, bitch."_

* * *

><p>Rin Tosaba was the only one in her own group who was not having lunch.<p>

Her current duty was more important than that. Right now, she was in charge of watching over the apartment. With her shotgun aimed at the street, Rin was struggling to hold the heavy weapon and analyze the situation at the same time. The girl was glad that she had learned a few things about firearms when she was younger, the proper way of holding a shotgun being one of them. That shotgun had enough power to rip someone's head off with a single blast, but it would knock the shooter on the floor if he did not know how to use it.

"_Thanks dad. You couldn't stop the government from selecting me for The Program, but at least you did something right." _

Rin smiled with irony. All of her classmates knew who her dad was, but in reality they did not know anything about him. A famous actor, Shigehiko Tosaba was extremely rich, possessing a large fortune he made out of his own talent and hard work. His wife divorced him shortly after Rin was born, making the girl quickly get used to living only with her dad.

Every time Rin said who her father was at school, several girls giggled and said that she was a lucky girl. _"If they knew better…" _Most people expect rich parents to spoil their kids as much as possible, turning them into unredeemable monsters after they reach their teens. Rin's father wasn't like that. He was extremely strict, and charged his daughter with several obligations and rules. If Rin did not always get As at school, made friends easily or found a boyfriend soon after ending her previous relationship, her father would get angry and force her to do things she didn't want to, in order to improve herself. A few years ago, when Rin told her father that she wasn't able to sing in her chorus class, he answered that it was all her fault and started slapping her.

Rin still loved him; after all, he was her father. But she never dared to raise her voice or tell him that he was asking too much from her. Thanks to him, though, Rin managed to get popular quickly, although the girl still wasn't sure if she had so many friends because of her own merits or only because she was rich. After all, Rin did not see anything special with herself. She was good at many things, but she wasn't the goddess everyone else thought she was, not by far.

"Rin! Where did you put the kettle?" – asked Hana from the kitchen. Rin was the one who did the breakfast, earlier on that day.

"It's inside the small drawer, on the left!" – Rin answered back to her friend. Hana found the kettle in less than three seconds.

"_Why can't they just think for themselves?" – _Thought the rich girl, angrily. Since the moment she came to Tsuchihara, everyone clung around Rin so much that it annoyed her. They thought that Rin knew everything, that she was a natural born leader. When in reality, the girl did not know the answer to several things, one of them being how they would escape that game.

"_Inside this apartment, I know we're going to make it far. But if we make it to the end…"_ – Rin would never want to use her shotgun to kill her friends, but if they turned out to be the only ones remaining in the game she did not see any other choice. Escaping was impossible, as the government's defenses were strengthened after an incident on a previous Program. Five years ago, a couple of students whom Rin didn't remember their names managed to escape the game after successfully removing their collars and faking their deaths. From then on, the government decided to make sure that escaping was impossible. Cameras were installed on every urbanized area, and also in the woods. The Program started to be broadcast on national television, in a channel that was reserved for the government. Right now, there was a camera behind Rin, on the left corner of the living room's ceiling. But the girl knew that breaking it would mean instant death, as Mrs. Suzuki would detonate her collar.

"_We're going to die here." _– A dark shadow made of pure fear passed by the rich girl's face, and she looked at the street even more meticulously. Rin's biggest fear and trauma in life was having her house invaded. When she was eight years old and her dad was travelling abroad, two burglars managed to somehow get inside the luxurious house where she lived at the time. They held her and her nanny at gunpoint for several hours, and after the nanny tried to fight back, they shot her dead in front of Rin. They constantly threatened to kill the small girl if her dad did not give them money. A few hours later, the thieves were caught and killed by the police, but Rin would never forget the men's breathing, their threatening voices, or their insanity. Rin's last nightmare about the incident was only a few days before The Program.

She took a deep breath and stared at the empty space on the other side of the window with determination.

"_I can't let that happen again. If someone tries to come in, I'll shoot to kill." _

* * *

><p>In another part of the city, Misa Fujiwara was undeniably tired and thirsty. She spent more than an hour walking back from where she was, going north. According to the map, she was on zone E-3, but it did not make much of a difference. She was yet to find a place to eat, and the extremely hot afternoon summer made her drink almost all of the water in her bottle. Misa hated extreme heat, and always preferred coolness.<p>

"_I need to get some water, fast!"- _As she wandered through the streets with clumsy steps, Misa couldn't avoid thinking about her life back at home. Many students of that class had problems with their families, but Misa Fujiwara wasn't one of them: she was raised by loving parents and an awesome grandmother, in the beautiful city of Osaka. Surrounded by family and friends, Misa had the childhood every child would want to have.

"_But in the end, it was all useless, because I moved to Tokyo and got selected. I lost all of the friends I had back there and came to a class of preppy girls. Why did my dad have to move? He couldn't know, but I don't give a damn. When I go back home after I win this thing, I'm going to punch him in the face." – _Misa wasn't the type of girl who would hit her own family, but thirst can make people do crazy things. Without water, the average person can live for four days, but these four days would make anyone wish to be dead.

A few more blocks ahead, Misa turned to the right and saw what for her was a paradise: a bakery store. It couldn't get any better than that. Running like a leopard, the girl who lost her beauty due to her sweaty skin, messy hair and dry lips suddenly stopped.

She felt something metallic, which felt like the barrel of a pistol, pressing the back of her head.

"I wouldn't do this if I were you." – A female voice spoke behind Misa, but the girl was too scared to turn around. How did that happen? Misa didn't see anyone, she was sure that the place was empty…

"Turn around." – The voice spoke again, and Misa started to recognize who was talking. She didn't turn around, though; fear was building inside her spine in such a way that she wasn't even able to think.

"Turn around NOW!" – the girl yelled angrily from behind, and after realizing that Misa wouldn't obey her, she put her hand on Misa's shoulder and made her turn with a violent pull. Misa yelled in surprise after seeing who the girl was.

It was Kageri Shouzaku, who had the makeup that powdered her face ruined by tears. She looked like a fallen angel, with her face painted white, long black hair, red lipstick and deep dark eyeliners. She probably put makeup on during the game, as it wasn't allowed at school. However, there was something evil about her gaze, and she seemed to be ready to shoot at any moment. She also did not seem to be insane. Kageri had total control of her actions and knew perfectly what she was doing. Misa started mumbling, crying with fear:

"W-Why?"

"I don't like you." –soon after saying that, Kageri violently pushed Misa, hitting her head against the wall of one of the closed stores. Normally, Misa would have reacted, but she was too scared to do so; Kageri had the gun and she had a useless brick. _"Why did I get such a useless weapon?" _

"Nobody's going to look twice at you!" – Kageri yelled again, and pressed the barrel of the gun against Misa's nose, in order to deform her face as much as possible. Kageri always hated the fact that Misa looked like an angel, while she herself had to wear tons of makeup to achieve the same effect. After Misa, another one would get shot in the face, and then another, until Kageri killed everyone and could then go back home. She would not lose, no matter what.

From behind her tears, Misa stared at the blue sky that she would never see again, and remembered her family, her friends and Osaka. She hoped that being shot in the face would be fast and painful less. She still had her entire life ahead of her, it wasn't fair!

"Goodbye, bitch"- Kageri pulled the trigger of her .44 AutoMag pistol.

"_Click!"_

For a few seconds, the two girls remained frozen in time, trying to comprehend what had just happened. Until Kageri realized what it was.

"_The safety, fuck! I forgot to pull the safety!"_ – Kageri's left hand moved towards her pistol, ready to its job.

"THOCK!"-a loud sound filled the air, as Misa slammed the brick on the left side of Kageri's head with all the strength she could reach with her right arm. She was moved by pure adrenaline and instinct, and now it was time to release her anger upon Kageri.

"AAARRRGHHH!" – Kageri howled in pain and stepped to the side, but did not fall. Her left hand managed to pull the safety quickly, as she pointed the gun at Misa and fired.

However, the bullet did not hit Misa, because she wasn't there anymore. While Kageri was pulling the safety, Misa lunged towards her classmate's legs and headbutted her stomach, knocking her on the floor in a matter of seconds. It happened so fast. The shot fired by the AutoMag pistol hit the wooden wall behind Misa, creating a large hole in it. Misa did not even pay attention to the noise; she just wanted to stay alive.

Another cracking sound was heard when Misa hit Kageri's right hand with the brick. Her pistol felt to the floor as she screamed, and her index finger broke with the impact. A large purple bruise started growing on her hand, but Kageri ignored the pain and tried to get the gun.

"You're dead, bitch!" – yelled Kageri with violence.

If Kageri had decided to give up and stop fighting, Misa might have decided to spare her life, steal her gun and leave her unarmed on the floor. But she did not, making Misa realize that it was kill or be killed. Reuniting all of her strength once more, Misa hit the brick against Kageri's left eye, making it turn purple and bleed as her classmate screamed in pain. She held Kageri's right hand firmly, to stop the girl from going for her gun. Meanwhile, Kageri's intact left hand acted quickly, and started to violently pull Misa's black ponytail and scratch her face with its long fingernails

Misa did not give up. The pain she was feeling was nothing compared to what she had reserved for Kageri. Misa hit her brick against Kageri's nose, instantly breaking it and causing more blood to spill from her nostrils. Misa attacked again, hitting the right side of Kageri's mouth. This third blown broke several of Kageri's teeth, causing her lips to part and bleed. Kageri's white make up was now red with blood, as if she had decided to play a vampire on a school play.

"AAAAHHHH!"- All the blows made Kageri grunt in pain and caused her head to spin. It was so painful, so brutal; she never thought that her first kill would be that hard, after all a .44 AutoMag was an invincible weapon, and a superior girl like her would never lose to a worm like Misa. Letting anger take control over her, Kageri used her left hand to punch Misa's face several times, making the stronger girl release Kageri's right hand.

Not letting her opportunity pass, Kageri punched Misa in the stomach, throwing her on the floor. Turning around on her front, with her face bleeding heavily, Kageri tried to reach for the gun, only a few inches away from her.

"_I won't let you escape that easily!"- _Yelled Misa in her mind, and then pulled Kageri's long hair with violence. Kageri experienced pain for the second time as Misa kept pulling her hair, and then used her right hand to slam the brick on the back of Kageri's head, breaking her skull.

"THOCK! THOCK!THOCK!THOCK!"

Misa bashed Kageri's head one, two, three, four times, each one producing a more audible crack, a bigger scream and more and more blood. The impact of each blow also made Kageri's forehead hit the stone ground, deforming it and making the girl spill more blood. Soon her head became red and caved in, and by the sixth blow her hair was more red than black.

For some reason unknown to this world, Kageri Shouzaku was still alive. Her existence now was now nothing but pure pain, and one or two blows would cause her death. Yet, as the pain started leaving her body, she was still thinking: "_Misa… Misa… Kill… Kill… Bitch… Bitch…"_

Reuniting the last amount of strength that she still possessed, Kageri lunged forwards and surprisingly got rid of Misa's grip on her hair. She started to stand up as slowly as a turtle, forgetting about the gun. Her entire body shook uncontrollably; her nerves were not working anymore.

But Misa was much, much faster. She got up from behind of Kageri in a few seconds, and then raised the bloody brick as high as her height allowed. Misa then dropped the brick on the top of Kageri's head, destroying whatever remained of her skull and crushing her brain.

Kageri was already dead, instantly killed by the impact; however, her body did not want to accept it yet. The girl who was proud of being popular, beautiful and superior gave three clumsy steps forward while her entire head bled through every single pore. Even her ears bled. Then she finally fell on her side, deader than a doornail. A small puddle of blood slowly erupted from under her head.

Standing next to Kageri's corpse, Misa spent a long time in absolute silence. She was expecting to start crying for the girl's death, to scream and mourn because she became a murder and effectively played the government's game. It did not happen.

What Misa felt at that moment was pure pleasure. Kageri was the one who tried to kill her first, and got what she deserved. Why would she feel sorry for a bitch like her, so vain that she could not open a can for fear of breaking her nails and so stupid that she forgot to pull her gun's safety? Misa knew she wasn't going to kill again, but enjoyed looking at the bloody, gory mess that once was Kageri's beautiful face. It was almost unrecognizable, with the nose, left eye, mouth and forehead destroyed, and blood flowing all over it.

As Misa opened Kageri's duffel bag, stealing her bottle of water and her .44 AutoMag, she thought about what Kageri said while threatening Misa with her gun. That nobody would want to look twice at Misa again. While heading to the bakery store, Misa Fujiwara, one of the first killers in the 2011 edition of the Program, sarcastically formulated an answer:

"_Well Miss. Perfect" – _Misa smiled with malice. – _It seems no one will want to look twice at you from now on."_

**Girl #6 Kageri Shouzaku- Dead**

**17 to go**


	12. Out of Control

**Chapter 12**

**Chapter 12, the story is getting tenser as time goes by! From now on, all chapters will have author's notes, where I'll explain some concepts I inserted in my chapters after the readers are done reading it. Please review!**

Walking with a stranger is a strange thing. There's always the feeling of being chased instead of being followed, and insecurities take hold. It's impossible to predict what the stranger is about to do, what are his intentions or what he's really thinking. A tense atmosphere fills the air, like a cloud of black smoke. It's not hard to comprehend how Rena Kuroda and Natsumi Moriguchi felt while walking with Aya Tsunaba.

The girls had just looked up their localization in the map. They were on zone B-5, a poor area where the streets were narrow and dirty, and it was hard to ignore the smell of garbage. Finding Shizuko wasn't their objective anymore. It would be hard to spot her in such a large place like Saitama, being better to just randomly look for people to ally with.

This is where Aya came into picture. Since she found the two best friends in the park, the class's most undecipherable student did not say any word besides the first hello. Aya did not seem to be hostile, but the girls decided to abandon her there, out of distrust. However, the girl kept following them closely, like a stalker. Rena and Natsumi could understand her, of course. Who would want to be alone with so many killers around? Still, it was hard to let such a weird girl walk along with two of the most neutral students in class.

"Let's avoid walking many steps away from her. We should get closer." – whispered Rena in her friend's ear.

"Wait a minute, are you thinking of talking to her?" – answered Natsumi, surprised.

"Hell no. It's obvious that she doesn't want to talk to us. I mean, look at her. She seems like she's about to go berserk and attack us at any moment. But if we get closer, we might at least hear something from her. I think she wants to talk to us but is afraid." – Natsumi tried to believe that Aya was "only afraid", but it was impossible to do so; she did not look scared, but more like a porcelain doll. The girl with pigtails decided to open herself up.

"She makes me terrified just by looking at her. I mean, look at that katana. If that is not her assigned weapon or she has some experience with swords, then we are in a lot of trouble." – Initially, Natsumi actually liked her GPS tracker. Now, she thought herself to be the unluckiest girl in the world. It could warn them of other's presence, but little else.

Natsumi fell to the temptation of looking back again. Aya seemed more like an alien for her than anything else. She was just so… strange. It started with her appearance. Aya's neck was extremely long, her nose had the shape of a hook, and her eyes were very small even for Asian standards. However, she wasn't ugly, just …._ Different._ A westerner visiting Tsuchihara would have trouble with differentiating between the girls, but would pick Aya from the crowd really fast.

That wasn't all. Aya's behavior in class was very contradictory. She had grades as high as Sachiko Kirihara's, but never said a word in class or seemed to be interested in learning. She wasn't shy for sure, always seeming to be very proud of herself. However, she never talked to the other girls and seemed to enjoy not having friends. Last year, Aya was the only girl in class who did not go to the middle school graduation party at Rin Tosaba's mansion, with the excuse that she would "_pray for the souls of all of her classmates."_ instead.

Natsumi and Rena were both Buddhist, and didn't really understand that phrase.

Anyway, Aya did not seem like a person anyone could trust. She acted like a distant shell, always wearing the same rigid facial expression. Her classmates could never say that she was arrogant, as it was almost impossible to know what was on her mind. It made her similar to Kumiko Noma, in a certain way.

As the two friends of Shizuko Honda got closer to Aya, Rena decided to ask an innocent question:

"So Aya, what are you doing after we get out of here?"- It was just an attempt to make the strange girl get out of her shell and act like a normal person.

"Me…?" – Aya shrugged and even seemed to smile a little. – "I'm not going to leave this place. I'm going to die as a hero." – The other girls' eyes opened wide.

"Aya, don't say that!" – Natsumi blushed and looked at Aya in the eye. "What is the point of sacrificing yourself for others, if you will be dead? You should try to escape on every opportunity, don't throw your life away!" – Martyrdom wasn't exactly the first word in Natsumi's mind. She thought that Jesus Christ was an idiot, despite not knowing that much about him.

"So, you wouldn't give your life for your friends?" – Aya's small, black eyes stared into Natsumi's like a lion searching for a prey. "I thought that you and Rena actually cared for each other. I was mistaken, it seems." – Natsumi's anger erupted like a volcano.

"No, it's not like that!" – The girl with pigtails yelled. "You don't know anything about us! You are a loser who does not have any friends! Just learn how to keep your mouth shut!" – Natsumi was about to slap Aya, but Rena intervened, pulling her arm away.

"Natsumi, just ignore her. I don't want to see more blood getting spilled here." – Rena strongly pulled the two girls apart. The trio kept walking in silence for a while, until Natsumi decided to break the silence after she got sure that Aya could not hear her and Rena.

"Rena, are you sure that we can really trust her?"

"After what she just did, not at all."

"Then why are you walking along with her?" – asked Natsumi, confused to the bone. "You have the gun, just shoot her in the leg and then we can go away."

"It's not the best option, believe me." – Rena was as reasonable as always. "We might not like her, but she's useful if we have to fight. I don't think she really wants to kill us. She could have done that a long time ago. Just look at that sword, she could have decapitated me with a single slash."

Natsumi tried to say something, but Rena continued.

"Besides, we only have this pistol. What if I run out of bullets? They only gave me two extra clips. She might help us while I reload my weapon."

"Yeah, but how can you be so sure that she won't just run away in case of attack?"

"Well… I can't." – Rena's face was dominated by sadness. "But I think we should try, right? It's better than going out there and adding more bodies to the death list." – After the first announcement, both girls got terrified. They were glad that Shizuko wasn't in the list, though.

"I just…" – Natsumi looked back at Aya again. "I can't stand being close to her, that's all. If you didn't stop me at that moment, I think I would have tried to kill her." – Rena was much taller and stronger than Natsumi, but the smaller girl was by far the most impulsive. Natsumi was kind-hearted and funny, but when she got angry, it was impossible to know when she would stop. Rena was the only one in the group who could face a good fight, but Natsumi was the one who started most of them.

"Natsumi-chan, don't even think about it. I know that some girls are playing out there, but we shouldn't be like them. If we start releasing our grudges towards each other, it won't be long until we go insane. And after someone goes insane in this game… there's no turning back."- Rena had paid close attention to the news reports from the Program in recent years. In all of them, students who cracked and succumbed to the pressure died soon after. Going crazy in The Program was like signing your own death sentence.

"I would rather die in this game than killing you. You know that." – Natsumi shrugged and looked away from the taller girl. For a moment, she forgot that Aya was there. Shizuko was a nice friend, but she did not compare to Rena. For Natsumi, Rena was almost like her mother: taller, protective and kind-hearted. Shizuko was a bit too arrogant, maybe because she was the prettiest one in the group.

Soon, Rena also started getting affected emotionally and hugged Natsumi. The smaller girl was slightly lifted off her feet, and stared at the yellow sun between her twin pigtails. It was starting to get colder in Saitama, but Natsumi still felt warm.

* * *

><p>The hotel was a wonderful place. Kazukawa Inn was an oasis in the middle of a desert of poverty, and showed it. It did not have many rooms, but luxury was visible on every corner. The room occupied by the two cousins had two large bedrooms, a nice living room with an awesome TV system and several kitchen and medical utensils.<p>

For Hisame Shikamoto, it would be the best place to stay and rest until near the end of the game. If it wasn't for her cousin Mari, of course, who started to complain about everything five seconds after they got into the hotel. It was the room that was too dirty, the oven that was hotter than normal, or simply her hair. There was always something.

"Hisame-chan, do you know how much I hate Japanese doors?" – Hisame laid her head back into the sofa and dug deeper into it. She answered her cousin sarcastically.

"Why, honey? Tell all your secrets to mommy, my little baby."

"Well, they are hard to pass through; pulling doors to the side is not my thing. Besides, they look so ugly, don't you think? American wooden doors are ten times better."

"Well, get used to it, because you are not in America. It's not my fault that you are poor and could never go there." – Hisame was slowly getting tired of her cousin's bitching. She had passively endured her Mari's annoyance for several years. But she was in The Program now, right? No rules, nothing to fear, nothing to lose.

"Hisame-chan…"- Mari started bawling. Again. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry… I don't want to make you get angry with me, I'm just scared… I don't have anything to protect myself with." – Hisame knew her cousin well enough to avoid falling into her tricks. It was always the same thing. Mari would start playing the victim and saying that she was sorry, only to come back at full force two minutes later. It always happened.

And of course, Hisame ended up being the evil cousin, the bad girl.

"Mari, cut the crap off. We're fighting for survival here, OK? If you don't want to make me angry, then just fucking shut up for a moment." – Mari's face turned redder, and it was clear that Hisame's words made her angrier. But Mari never listened to what her cousin had to say. She got angry because of only one word.

"Hisame-chan, I told you to call me Mary! You know that my name is Mary since the moment I was born!"

Hisame laughed at the ceiling. It was the same story all over again. Mari hated her own name simply because it was Japanese. Since seventh grade, she wanted to be called Mary instead. It was just a pathetic attempt to seem more American than she was. Hisame usually obeyed, though. It was better than having to listen to her cousin's rants and self-victimization.

"Look, you were born Mari and this is your name. Deal with it. Come on, Mari you have such a beautiful name, look at mine. Hisame, much uglier than yours! I hate my name too, but I don't think it would be better if I had an American one!"

"You don't understand. None of you do." – continued Mari, playing the poor victim one more time. "All Japanese names are ugly and the way we Asians look like is ugly too. Come on, Hisame-chan, you never wished of being named Rachel or Sarah, have blonde hair and blue eyes and live in California?" – Hisame smiled meanly.

"Hmmm… maybe. But that would be because people are rich there, and we are not. However, if you decided to do something more productive and get out of this couch, we might get there one day. Isn't that what you want?" – Mari's lachrymal ducts were filling with water again, almost making her blue lens fall to the ground.

"Yeah…" – the blonde wiped away her tears and went to the kitchen to start serving lunch, which was boiling in the oven. Meanwhile, Hisame rested on her blue sofa, thinking about Mari.

Hisame's cousin fascination with America started more or less five years ago, after one of their uncles left Japan in order to escape the government. Although American social networks were not allowed in the Asian country, Japanese ones were quickly proliferating, and their uncle talked to Mari online for months. He always told her about how much America was such a wonderful place, with freedom, beautiful people and a lovely culture. Gradually, Mari started getting attached to the country the government despised, and dyed her hair. The lenses came soon after, and since a year ago, Mari dragged her cousin to the black market to buy an American film on DVD every weekend.

"_Well, she's partially right. America is a democracy where people can vote and choose their own leaders. But they are very overrated. They also have their fair share of problems, which my cousin is too stupid to see. Why does she never come back to normal?" –_ Before Mari's obsession began, she and Hisame were friendly towards each other. Sure, they did not meet very often and weren't the best cousins in the world, but at least did not argue over silly stuff. Their uncle's conversations with Mari coincided with her arrival at Tsuchihara, where Hisame studied since second grade. In other words, Hisame's school life became a living hell.

As Mari did the table, Hisame reflected if teaming up with her cousin was a good idea. Mari was the only option she had, but it was better to be alone than getting a bad company. The impatient girl was starting to believe that they wouldn't survive much longer together. Mari was useless in combat, and would only create another problem for her cousin during a fight.

Still, Hisame had to agree with her cousin over one thing.

If they were living in America, they wouldn't have gotten selected for The Program.

* * *

><p>Out of all the girls in that island, Chitose Higurashi and Yoriko Shibasaki were by far the happiest ones. They shouldn't be. Miki Nakayoshi was dead because of Yoriko, and nunchakus and sickles were not the best weapons a student could receive. But good friends are able to make anyone happy, and the two girls proved it. Instead of grieving over dead students or slowly falling into madness, the pair remembered their good times at school and quickly forgot about all of their troubles.<p>

"Do you remember that day when we were in chemistry class and you almost burned the teacher with acid?" – Chitose started tapping her friend in the shoulder and smiled.

"Well, we almost got suspended. Me for doing that, and you for laughing at him."- Yoriko was having so much fun that she did not even remember Miki's death mask.

"I couldn't resist, I swear! It seemed like you put the acid on his seat by accident!"

"Well, if it wasn't for Asuka seeing the liquid and warning him, I think we would have lost a year of middle school!" – Answered Yoriko, and both girls started laughing.

They were not very far from finding more people. The two did not know it, but Rena, Natsumi and Aya were just a few blocks away from them. The most opposite friends in class were now very close to the border of Saitama, on zone A-4.

"And what about that game, which I would have lost if it wasn't for you?"- remembered Yoriko.

"I still have that poster at home."- Chitose answered and laughed with joy. Two months ago, Yoriko's volleyball team had a match that was extremely hard. Yoriko was one of the best players, but the other school was strong. And Chitose, who promised to come to school in a Saturday as soon as possible, did not show up. It was awful.

After twenty minutes into the game, Chitose appeared on the cheering bench, with a poster depicting a picture of Yoriko with her body replaced by the Wonder Woman's. It had "Go, Yori-chan!" written all over it. After that moment, Chitose did not stop rooting for her friend even to get some water, and Yoriko's team managed to turn the tables quickly and win the match.

"I felt so awesome on that day." – Yoriko faced the clouds in the sky as she said that. A real friend wasn't something many people have the chance of getting in a lifetime, and yet a shy girl like her managed to do it. Unlike many other girls in class, she wouldn't change Chitose for Rin's group, or getting more popular. What she had was more than enough for her.

"Well, it would be ungrateful if you didn't. I spent twelve hours working on that poster. This is why I got there late." – Chitose giggled and Yoriko did too. They couldn't feel any better.

The street where they were walking on slowly went upwards and turned into a hill. It was hard to keep walking in the sun without getting tired, but the two friends kept going ahead until they saw a house of wood at the top. It did not have a specific name in the map, but it's drawing was there. Therefore, they would still be inside Saitama's limits.

"It seems it is our day of luck, Chitose. Let's rest there for a while. Who knows Asuka and Kyoko are around to see us inside." – Most people would say that it was a lesbian gesture to hold another girl's hand. Yoriko and Chitose were straight for sure, but it did not stop them from holding hands and start walking towards the house.

Until Yoriko heard a buzzing, chainsaw-like noise from behind her. She turned around.

Kumiko Noma stood a few steps away, coming from a small alleyway. The beautiful girl smiled sadistically when she saw the two, and started running at them with her chainsaw still stained with Tomoko Kobi's blood.

"Oh my God! Run,run!"- Yoriko knew that they did not have any chances against that chainsaw, so it was better to run away. Her brain got instantly filled with adrenaline. The attack was so sudden, so unexpected! They had been away from the game for too long. It was time to go back to reality.

The two friends released their hands and started running down the street in absolute panic. Chitose was sweating with fear. She knew that it was impossible for a very short girl like her to run very fast. Yoriko was several feet ahead from her. Meanwhile, Kumiko quickly took the opportunity and caught up with Chitose with her chainsaw. She then swung the blade sideways, ready to split the small girl's body in half.

Chitose miraculously dodged the attack, but not entirely. The impact made her fall to the floor, blood flowing profusely from her completely severed left hand. She took one second to feel the pain. But when she did, it was agonizing.

"AAARRRRRRGGGGHHHHH!YOOORIIIIII-CHAAAAAANN!"- Having her small hand cut off in an explosion of blood and flesh, the girl was drenched in the most absolute agony a human being could feel. It was a miracle that she could still reunite forces to scream.

"Oh no, oh no!"- Desperate, Yoriko started running back to help Chitose. Her mind was filled with fear and worry. How could they be so unlucky? They were having the best of times together, and suddenly Chitose's hand got cut. But it wasn't time to lament on fate. Kumiko already had her chainsaw high above her head, ready to chop Chitose's head off.

With a sudden spurt of rage towards Kumiko, Yoriko swung her sickle sideways, in order to pierce through Kumiko's neck like she did with Miki. It shouldn't be so hard, as she had the element of surprise. But Kumiko's reflexes were extremely fast, and after seeing the blade coming, she threw herself on the floor in order to dodge.

However, the sickle still scratched Kumiko's face badly, creating a large cut on her right cheek. Some strands of her hair were also cut by the blade. Dropping the chainsaw with the pain, Kumiko was completely defenseless, creating the perfect opportunity for Yoriko to kill her right there.

But Yoriko did not do it. The moment she prepared the final strike, images of Miki's dead face, bloodied and pale, flooded the tall girl's brain. Yoriko wanted revenge, but the memory of the murder she committed still haunted her. She wasn't born to be a killer or to get into fights, and the guilt made her hesitate for a second.

It was everything Kumiko needed. Not looking as beautiful as before because of the cut, she got up with amazing speed and grabbed Yoriko's hand that was holding the sickle. The taller girl struggled to free herself, but Kumiko was stronger than she looked. Punching Yoriko's face twice and making her enemy grunt in pain, Kumiko effectively pushed the girl with the sickle towards a signpost nearby, hitting her head against the metallic surface.

Yoriko's head was spinning, and nothing but fear remained in her body. However, she was more worried with her friend Chitose than with herself. Seconds earlier, Chitose stopped screaming, and Yoriko could see with the corner of her eyes that she had passed out. "_No, please, someone help me, don't let her die, don't do this to me, she cannot be dead…"_- Yoriko's fear was like a parasite, completely paralyzing her on the floor.

Kumiko wouldn't wait for her enemy to get up. She slowly and creepily got close to Yoriko, ready to slice her in half with the bloody chainsaw. A simple task, fast and easy. Winning The Program wouldn't be that hard, after all.

Yoriko's instincts guided her, and she finally opened her eyes wide enough to see Chitose's fallen nunchaku a few inches away from her. In a violent and desperate move, the tall girl grabbed the melee weapon and stood up while swinging it upwards. The nunchaku hit Kumiko in the base of the jaw, almost breaking it. The most beautiful girl in class fell to the floor bleeding through her mouth, and quickly realized that the impact broke two of her teeth. However, Yoriko's survival instinct told her that she could not kill Kumiko. Besides the chainsaw, the class beauty had two pistols tucked into her skirt. Chitose was dying, and she needed her friend's help. Yes, Chitose was the most important one there.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"- releasing her adrenaline and screaming like a banshee, Yoriko quickly ran towards her fallen friend and picked her up, carrying the smaller girl like a baby. Yoriko was a strong girl, and Chitose's light weight made her someone easy to hold. Kumiko started to stand up, but Yoriko was already far from her, running to the wooden house.

"Come on, Chitose, wake up, please!" – As Yoriko's tears fell on Chitose's face, the tall girl saw that her friend was still alive. Chitose was pale but still breathing, and did not feel cold like a dead person does. However, her arm was completely covered with blood, and she would not last much longer.

Yoriko kept running faster and faster, dodging a bullet from Kumiko that was aimed for her head. When she finally reached the house, covered in sweat, the girl got in with ease and locked the door.

"BAAANNGGG!" - Another bullet from Kumiko's Walter PPK hit the wall only a foot away from Yoriko. But she wasn't worried about it anymore. As she put Chitose on the floor and started barricading the door, Yoriko strongly doubted that her friend would live to see her playing volleyball again.

* * *

><p>AUTHOR'S NOTE<p>

Some American or Asian readers might get offended by this chapter, due to the Hisame/Mari scene. I would like to apologize in case it happens, but my intention is to characterize the way the cousins view their own country. I know many people in real life who truly despise the place where they were born, due to a persistent lack of self-esteem most of the times.

In this chapter, I also decided to break a cliché I spotted in the original and in many Battle Royale fanfics. The main villain (Kyriama in the original, Kumiko in my case) never gets wounded until the final battle. Mitsuko Souma survived until near the end of the game without a single scratch, the same with Kyriama. I don't think this is realistic, as a villain might be evil but he/she is also made from flesh and bone. Everyone can get hurt and die in The Program.

Some readers might believe that Yoriko was stupid, for not killing Kumiko when she had the chance. But as already written, Yoriko is very fragile and not made for fighting. Besides, I would not kill such an important character like Kumiko without fleshing her out first. (Nothing was heard from her so far)

So, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! It was the hardest one to write so far! Thanks for all the help!


	13. Shattered

**Chapter 13**

**13****th**** chapter. Tragedy is hitting the characters in this one. I've been writing like a dog recently, and there'll be a while until the next chapter, so that I can get some rest. In this chapter, the two points of view are happening exactly at the same time, instead of one before the other. I would love good reviews.**

Everything was falling apart.

It wasn't just Yoriko Shibasaki's opinion; she _knew_ that it was happening. Since The Program started, everything was a succession of disgrace and misery. She and Chitose Higurashi got into an extremely pointless discussion with Miki Nakayoshi, leading Yoriko to kill her by accident. Moments later, guilt consumed the tall girl, making her forget to pick up Miki's knife and almost attempt suicide, but Chitose saved her. Things seemed to get better for a while, until both Yoriko and her best friend were attacked by Kumiko Noma and Chitose got her left hand sliced.

Yoriko could try to forget those things, but something was keeping the memories alive. Something was eating her soul, raping and brutalizing it. Chitose, her best friend for years, was dying from blood loss. Fast. And without Chitose, Yoriko knew that her world would be broken. Shattered. Torn apart.

But the girl had no time to mourn or cry for her wounded friend. Her despair was stronger. After quickly barricading the front door with every single object she found nearby (she even tried to move the sofa of the living room before realizing that it was useless), Yoriko put her bleeding friend on the marital bed by the bedroom's right wall and opened her own bag, desperately searching for her first aid kit.

Most people would take a look at the wooden house, to admire its beauty and know what existed there. But Yoriko couldn't care less, and did not look twice at the living room or the bedroom where she was in. Thankfully, Kumiko stopped shooting the door after the girls got inside, maybe because she had found a better target and was hunting other students down.

For Yoriko's joy, Chitose's blood loss was slowing down and now only a few squirts of it were spilled from the gruesome piece of flesh and bone that once was her left hand. However, the tall girl wasn't sure if it meant good or bad news. Chitose was indeed very pale, and looked strangely more beautiful that way. Her cute and childish face had the look of a small angel. But what's the point of being a beautiful angel, if you are dead?

As she opened the first aid kit and removed her school coat to make a tourniquet, Yoriko's thoughts moved from Chitose to Kumiko. Why? Why did she do such a thing? Kumiko was certainly not a psycho, at least not before she got into the game. Yoriko's confusion quickly turned into hatred, and then into pure sadness. Kumiko was a monster who was given a chance to live. It was all Yoriko's fault, one more time. She was stupid and weak, killing a girl who despite her meanness wasn't playing the game, and sparing the life of the other one, who deserved to die.

It wasn't time to wonder about who was playing or not. Quickly and violently, Yoriko tied her red coat around Chitose's arm and started to pull it. Not wasting her time, the tall girl grabbed her bottle of water and washed the severed limb to prevent infection. Yoriko was glad that her father was a doctor. Not a famous or special one by any means, but he taught his daughter about his profession correctly. And unlike most fathers, he did not want her to follow his steps.

However, despite the tourniquet, Chitose's wound kept bleeding badly. The flow of blood slowed down a bit more, but the white sheet where Chitose's left hand was lying was now completely red. It almost looked like if a girl had lost her virginity there.

Yoriko knew something about arteries due to her father and the science classes at school. There are a few major arteries in the body that contain the most blood and cause the most damage if cut. One of them was in the arm, near the wrist. Yoriko did not know its name, but was sure that this artery had been badly severed by the chainsaw. It needed to be tied off.

The ideal wire to stop arterial bleeding should be very thin and long, and Yoriko was well aware of it. The tall girl went to the closest bathroom to search for dental floss, hoping that the family who used to live there was worried about dental hygiene. Her prayers were heard when she found it easily, by the sink counter. Running back to the bedroom in seconds, due to her athletic body and excellent running abilities, Yoriko wasted no time and started tying Chitose's arteries to stop the bleeding.

Suddenly, the noise of a gunshot came from outside, and the tall girl jumped in fear. But it wasn't aimed at the house, coming from a few blocks away. Several gunshots followed, and it soon became clear that at least two people were shooting back at each other. Someone would die.

"_Kumiko. It can only be her. That bitch."- _While Yoriko fearlessly bathed her hands in her friend's blood and flesh, her personal hatred towards Kumiko exploded. Not satisfied in forever maiming the greatest person in the world, the most beautiful girl in class continued trying to kill her classmates. Monster. Yoriko wouldn't be so merciful towards her next time. The tall girl smiled, remembering herself scratching Kumiko's face with the sickle and hitting her jaw. "_Take that bitch. And I promise you this is only the beginning. You will get even more than what you deserve." _Yoriko's fragility disappeared.

Yoriko tied Chitose's arteries with one hand and pressed down on the tourniquet with the other, making the flow of blood slow down until it stopped after several minutes. Chitose was still in shock and had real chances of dying, but her breath and the beats of her heart indicated that there was still hope for her. She wasn't going to die. Yoriko would not allow it.

"_I wish… I was more than only her best friend."_ – Yoriko shook her head to that thought. It was an impossible dream, and she knew it.

Meanwhile, the noise of gunshots continued, piercing through the tall girl's ears. But they stopped soon after she finished tying the knot, as suddenly as they started. Did someone else get killed? Probably. Although Yoriko hoped that the target managed to escape, she knew that the first option had the biggest chance. They were in the Program now; it was kill or be killed. Only one would remain.

A miracle suddenly awoke Yoriko from her trance. As the blood stopped flowing from Chitose's arm, the small girl woke up slowly. Her beautiful brown eyes and hair were Yoriko's reason to live, a reason that was still allowed to exist in this world. Chitose came back to consciousness very slowly and softly, much like her fragile appearance suggested. Her hand was lost forever, though. A scar tattooed in her soul that would never disappear.

"Yori-chan… am I going to die?"- Tears washed both girls' eyes. Although Chitose had escaped death, her dead hand still caused her pain. It felt like a horrible burning, a permanent shock. But her friend still tried to comfort her:

"You won't die, Chitose. You won't die. Now sleep. You need to rest."- Chitose was only half-awake, and Yoriko's words entered her brain and did not leave. As her face started to regain color, the small girl willingly chose to leave the cruel reality for a moment, escaping to a land of dreams where no one could hurt her.

Yoriko started crying again, but not for Chitose's severed limb. Yoriko cried for herself, for the feelings she had for her friend but knew that they would never be revealed. Chitose wouldn't understand her, and even if she did, Yoriko doubted that she would get corresponded. Everything was against her love: her family, her country, and maybe her own best friend.

Yoriko knew that she loved Chitose since first grade in elementary school, when they met each other. But since puberty kicked in for her, since two years before The Program, she started loving her friend in another way. The same way that makes couples make out in theaters while being watched by several people. The same type of love that creates and destroys marriages, makes babies and unites the fate of two different people.

Everything that she learned in life considered it to be a sin, but Yoriko couldn't care less.

Because she had truly, deeply and madly fallen in love for her female friend, Chitose Higurashi.

* * *

><p>Some people say that happiness is something that depends on three things: money, friends and love.<p>

Rena Kuroda had the first two, and never allowed the lack of the third one to ruin her life. Everyone found love one day, and the girl still hoped that the boy of her dreams would appear and take her in his white horse. However, was she happy? Definitely.

She never had to worry about money. Rena wasn't rich by any means, but had a decent house and enough money to live her life with dignity. Viewed as a very mature girl for her age, Rena worked part-time after school and during vacations in the small clothing store owned by her mother. Although she did not care much about fashion, Rena couldn't deny having fun in that place, especially when Natsumi Moriguchi and Shizuko Honda went there to buy clothes. The trio used to spend entire days at Rena's shop, dressing themselves several times but never buying that much. Natsumi bought some very expensive clothes sometimes, but Shizuko's pregnancy made her feel fat after having to buy bigger numbers than her own. Anyway, it was a good place.

Rena couldn't ask for better friends. They were only two, but she knew that one true friend is worth more than ten plastic ones. Although Natsumi sometimes openly released her anger towards Shizuko, for her negligence after she met that guy, Rena did not feel resentment towards the pregnant girl. In Shizuko's place, Rena would do the same. Love is very strong only in the beginning of a relationship, but then it cools down and makes people remember their same-sex friends again.

Natsumi was even better. She had her flaws, but always made Rena laugh with her jokes and root for her during ballet competitions at school. They knew each other longer than they knew Shizuko, and showed it during their birthday parties. Rena had never given Natsumi a gift that she did not like, and vice-versa. Rena could see in Natsumi's eyes everything that she liked: ice cream, history classes, trendy clothes, TV shows, and much more.

And now this friend was with her in The Program, along with Aya Tsunaba. They could die at any time, and unless a new way of escaping was discovered, only one of them would not leave Saitama in a body bag. If all three of them made the top three, of course. Looking at Natsumi's face, Rena lamented not spending even more of her time with her. Shizuko's unexpected pregnancy caused a lot of trouble. It ruined many of her friend's plans, and made them delay some of their personal dreams in order to help their friend. A true act of selflessness, which had not yet been repaid.

However, Shizuko's pregnancy was the smallest of their problems in that game. Right now, Aya should be their cause of worry. She was useful, but was she trustworthy? Rena had already prohibited Natsumi of walking alone with Aya, in ANY circumstances. Or the three of them would walk together until they were the only ones remaining, or they would probably die soon after being separated. After night came, Rena was thinking about interrogating Aya in a non-violent way. Friend of foe, they had to know what she wanted as soon as possible.

"BANG!BANG!" – Two gunshots echoed through the large hill, not that far away from where the girls were standing. Rena's eyes opened wide. Were they being attacked? What was happening over there?

"What is that? Gunshots?" – Rena turned her face to Natsumi. Her friend's facial expression would haunt Rena for the rest of her life. Natsumi was more scared than in any other situation, her face pale and sweaty, her eyes wide open, and her breath quickening on every passing moment. It was terrifying.

"I don't know, but I think it probably is. We've got to keep moving, faster than before. Come on!" – Rena wasn't the leader of the group by luck. She knew what she was doing most of the times, and right now, what she wanted to do was just getting out of there and living to see the sunset later on that day. "Aya, come with us too!" – Aya, distant as usual, just waved her head and started walking faster along with the other two.

A few more minutes passed by, but they seemed like years for Rena. Every breath she took and every move she made created the feeling of being watched and stalked. She wanted to scream, but knew that screaming would only attract the shooter and make things worse. The Program was a game of silence, and the ones who managed to keep their mouths shut were usually the winners.

After finally losing track of time, Rena tried to comfort herself by thinking that things could not get worse. But they did.

"_Click!"_ – The noise of a safety being pulled. The three girls turned around.

Kumiko Noma was approximately thirty feet behind them, but she did not need to get closer. Her two guns, a Derringer and a Walter PPK, would do the job on their own.

At first, Rena could not recognize Kumiko, despite of her popularity and beauty. The girl looked like if she had just come from a bloody fight. There was a large, bloody cut on her cheek, and her mouth was bleeding. When she smiled sadistically, it was clear that she had lost a tooth. Beauty is certainly not eternal.

Rena didn't wait for the gunshot. She ran and screamed like a swimmer being chased by a shark.

"RUN! RUN! RUN NOW!"- Rena was one of the best runners in the school's track team, and could run faster. Natsumi and Aya were a little behind. But none of them were fast enough to be out of a gun's reach. Kumiko pulled the trigger of the Derringer after aiming carefully. She wasn't going to miss, no matter what.

"BANG!"- Kumiko did miss, but not completely. The gunshot grazed the side of Rena's body, instantly creating a large scar that spilled blood. It was superficial, but it did hurt. A lot.

"Rena?Rena?" – Natsumi shouted in despair and ran towards her wounded friend.

"DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME! JUST KEEP RUNNING!" – A tearful Natsumi had no other choice but to look ahead and run. The pain was intense, but Rena still managed to stand up and run as fast as possible.

"BANG! BANG!" – Two more bullets, one from each gun, were brutally unleashed towards the group of three. None of them hit their targets, as the girls' desperation made them run in irregular patterns, making it harder to get hit. Rena took the opportunity to fire a shot against Kumiko.

"Bitch!" – Rena shot at Kumiko with her Browning Hi-Power, but she also missed. The gun jumped upwards and took the bullet to the sky. Rena had no experience in firearms at all, and it proved itself to be her doom.

Realizing that there was no way of shooting again, Rena kept running and dodging more bullets from Kumiko. She quickly lost count of how many there were. Some supernatural entity, such as God or Buddha, was certainly on the girls' side, as none of the bullets hit their targets. Kumiko had as much experience with guns as Rena. Absolutely none.

A few quick steps ahead, the street divided itself. In the middle of the street appeared a large bush of bright green grass, which got bigger the further it went onwards. Now there were two different pathways, and Rena took the one on the left without looking behind to see if Natsumi and Aya had followed her. Something she would regret.

"Rena!" – The leader looked to her right side to see Natsumi screaming. It was the last time they would see each other.

Before Rena could shout back, Natsumi and Aya disappeared behind the large bush. The panic made them take the pathway on the right, separating themselves from their leader.

They were lucky, but Rena wasn't. Kumiko had decided to take the left pathway and run after Rena, who had the best weapon of the trio. _"I don't wanna die here, I don't wanna die here…" –_ cried the runner, as she dodged more bullets from Kumiko's Walter PPK.

The pain of the scar Kumiko had created was getting bigger and bigger, and soon Rena would not be able to continue running so fast.

However, like what happens to all guns, Kumiko ran out of bullets. But Rena did not notice that until she saw a large shopping mall right in front of her, which increased in size as she got closer. Great. It wasn't just a mirage.

As Rena ran towards the huge glass door of the mall, she reflected about her life. She did not create many things that would last forever, like building a house or writing a book. She also did not leave any children, something that Shizuko got luckier at.

However, Rena knew that people would miss her, and that tears would be shed after the next announcement was heard. She was a good girl, after all. "_At least I'm going to be remembered."_ However, she regretted not getting a boyfriend or better grades. If she knew that she would get selected for The Program, she would have cherished her life even more.

Suddenly, Rena Kuroda realized one thing.

She was NOT going to die. Not while she could still fight.

By the time Rena reached the door, Kumiko had already reloaded her guns and was ready to restart the shooting. But if Rena managed to get to the mall faster and to go inside, she could still avoid the bullets and hide, shooting Kumiko when she had the chance.

Rena reached the glass door. She tried to open it.

It was locked by an iron chain.

"_No! This is unfair! This cannot happen! I can't die here!" _– turning around with a bestial roar, Rena decided not to accept her death. She aimed her Browning at Kumiko before the other girl could do the same, firing three shots in a row.

"BANG!BANG!BANG!" – But the gun only produced noise and nothing more. All of the bullets missed, due to Rena's lack of shooting skills.

Kumiko fired, knowing that while Rena was fixed in one position and she got closer, her aim could only get better.

The first bullet came from the Derringer. Its 0.22 caliber projectile tore through Rena's ribcage, causing her a lot of pain. She felt like being stabbed by a huge and hot needle. The pain was still bearable, but the bullet completely pierced her body and spilled blood all over her skirt. It was the beginning of the end.

"BANG! BANG!"- Two more gunshots followed, hitting Rena in the stomach just above the first shot. What once was a needle became a huge axe, burning her torso and making the white fabric of her uniform turn red. The world started to spin around the girl, and her vision turned red and blurry. In a flash, she remembered everyone who passed through her life, her parents, teachers and friends. But the bullets were not that strong, and Rena could still keep her legs on the ground. Her left hand touched her belly for a second. There were three bloody holes in it.

"!" – Rena's last scream carried pain and sorrow within it.

"BANG!BANG!" – After stopping for a few seconds to reload the Walter PPK, Kumiko shot two more bullets through Rena's chest. One of them hit the right side of her chest, and the other pierced the middle of her breasts, shattering her spine. Those were the most brutal shots, severing her vital arteries and making the girl spit blood through her mouth. A large red stain and many bullet holes appeared on the glass door behind Rena, and she started to fall backwards. But because the bullets did not hit her heart, she felt everything. The red world around her turned white. The horrible pain started to disappear and was replaced by numbness. And finally, her back got sliced and cut by several glass shards while her falling body destroyed the glass door. She did not think about anything. It was impossible to do it.

Then the mercy shot came.

It hit Rena in the left side of her forehead, opening a large red hole and empting the back of her head. Her exposed brain, along with pieces of her skull and more blood, contributed to make her body even uglier and messier. Everything ended with that bullet: her dreams, her vision, and her life. All was shattered.

By the time her body hit the floor, with an explosion of blood and glass shards, Rena Kuroda was already dead.

**Girl #17 Rena Kuroda- Dead**

**16 to go**

* * *

><p>AUTHOR'S NOTE<p>

Rena Kuroda's death was hard to write. Her fate, along with all the other character's, was already defined since the beginning of this fanfic. However, even though she's a character who died relatively early in the story, I ended up enjoying to write about her. I don't know if you readers got attached to her during this chapter, but I believe I did for sure. Sadly, her death shows that even the good can fall during The Program.

RIP Rena Kuroda. You did not deserve what you received.

This chapter was aimed for the heart the whole time, especially in the Chitose/Yoriko scene. Only Yoriko is a lesbian, but not Chitose. However, she might want to reveal her secret to her friend before it's too late. I tried a different writing style in this chapter, compared to the previous ones.

I hope you all enjoyed it!


	14. Bad actress, Good painter

**Chapter 14**

**This is a special chapter, different from all the ones that came before. It has a time span (in the story) of one hour and a half. **

"Hello, princesses!"

The female voice possessed an artificial, childish and annoying tone, like the way a high school beauty queen would talk to her friends.

"_Hello, princesses!"_

Now the same voice reached an even higher tone, clearly falsetto. It was so loud that it could be heard from several rooms away. However, its speaker was the only one hearing it. She was alone in the middle of a studio dancing room, large and clean, with several mirrors to reflect the tall and curvy figure of the school's nurse and Program's coordinator, Mrs. Suzuki.

The woman shook her head. _"No. It's not good enough."_

She always wanted to be an actress, and, of course, a rich and famous one. When she was little, Mrs. Suzuki always talked to her mom about her dream, daily. After hearing her daughter's ambitions, the older woman constantly shook her head and told her that it was impossible. Born in a poor family with divorced parents and little opportunities, Mrs. Suzuki always seemed to be fated for a life of obscurity and mediocrity.

But still, she tried. On her last year of elementary school, the girl signed up for acting classes. It wasn't a very good class, as the teacher was an old man who was constantly drunk, and many of the girls were complete bitches who enjoyed bullying their socially unadjusted peers. Mrs. Suzuki never suffered from bullying. Not because she was popular or talkative, but because she was so shy and quiet that nobody else noticed that she existed.

In middle school, the main role of the "Cinderella" play was given to a snobbish and pretty girl whom Mrs. Suzuki absolutely despised. And the girl who was poor and not beautiful enough to be Cinderella got the role of one of the evil stepsisters, a whole that made her heart break into many smaller pieces and caused her tears to freely flow during the entire way back to her home.

Some people say that having talent is enough to make you become a great actor. Others, that luck is more important. Unlucky people, according to them, will never get a good job, find the right person to date, or have a decent life overall. Mrs. Suzuki believed that she was one of the unlucky ones during her entire life, and everything she would do was destined to fail. But she didn't want to accept it. And that was why, even after she graduated, Mrs. Suzuki still kept trying to find a way to act.

"_Don't be that pessimistic. I found a better and easier way of chasing my dreams now. I might suck, but it doesn't mean that I'll never make it." _– Seconds later, she laughed while facing the dance room's ceiling. Was that what she wanted since the beginning? To act in a show were young girls had to kill each other? It wasn't exactly the best job option in the world. But it had to do. She had been unemployed for a long time since the economical crisis shook the country, and working in The Program was her own boyfriend's recommendation.

However, it did not mean that Mrs. Suzuki liked her job. Not in the slightest bit. Which type of monster would actually enjoy in a show like that? However, it was almost impossible to find a good job in the decadent country of Japan, and working in The Program was better than selling your body to sex-starved men on the streets. Because she couldn't explain the rules of the game naturally, all of her dialogue to the students, since the moment she came into the classroom until the last announcement would be made, was scripted. Her cruelty towards the students of 3rd year A was not something natural: she was just acting another role. Otherwise, she would get fired, or worse.

"Honey, come here!" – Hiro, Mrs. Suzuki's boyfriend for two years, yelled from the control room next to the dance studio. "You need to know this before the time for the next announcement comes! Another student fell down! Girl #17 is dead! Don't forget to annotate it! The time of death is 3:34 pm!"

The man of her life's voice removed the bad actress from her fantasy world and sent her back to reality in a matter of seconds. Completely putting her dreams and aspirations aside, Mrs. Suzuki opened the wooden door on her left and ran towards the control room.

Hiro was there, looking even more handsome than usual with his soldier uniform and an AK-47 rifle tucked under his shoulder. His tanned and shaved face always seemed to be shining, and his narrow but nicely shaped eyes stared at the cameras like a hawk. The control room could be considered a beautiful and futuristic place if it's contents were not so terrifying. Around Mrs. Suzuki, her boyfriend, and some other soldiers standing on the walls, there were more than 300 cameras, each one activated on a different part of Saitama. Because the game was taking place in an urban area this time, they were all very easy to install, but took their time. It was worthy, though; it was now impossible for the soldiers not to notice if one of the girls managed to remove her collar. Every single building and street on that place had a camera, which also allowed people from all over the country to watch the game on pay-per-view.

"So, in which camera did the last death happen? I need to see the cause so that I can include it in my script." – asked Mrs. Suzuki.

"That one, over there." – Hiro pointed at the camera with his extremely muscular arm. It was localized in the control room's northwestern wall. Although the camera did not have enough proximity for them to notice the details, the scene depicted in it was very grotesque and sent chills down on Mrs. Suzuki's spine. It depicted Girl #17, Rena Kuroda, lying in a pool of her own blood and several glass shards from a shattered glass door. Given the state of her uniform, she seemed to have been shot to death. In front of her, Girl #2, Kumiko Noma, stared at her body in such a way that she seemed to completely ignore the outside world. Her face was a mix of pleasure, fascination and pure cruelty. Definitely a strong contestant for the winner of that year's Program.

"She's beautiful, isn't she?" – Flirtatiously commented Hiro before his girlfriend angrily stared at him. "I mean, not as beautiful as you, honey. But it would be a pity for such an angel to die in this terrible place."

"Well, she doesn't look that pretty anymore, does she?" – Ironically answered Mrs. Suzuki. "Look at that cut on her face. I don't think you would have looked at me twice if I had that."

"Well, darling, you would call my attention even if you were in the Middle East and had to wear a burka." After finishing his sentence, Hiro kissed his girlfriend in the lips so deeply that his colleagues had to tell him to focus back on his work again. He was the type of guy who separated work from relationships, but usually lost control when his girlfriend was around him.

Hiro and Mrs. Suzuki quickly stopped, aware of the place where they were. They still had the entire day to make out.

"I'm sorry guys." – said the woman, trying to sound innocent. She would actually kiss Hiro until the next day, if she was given the chance. He wasn't just a boyfriend; no, he was much more than that. If it wasn't for him, Mrs. Suzuki would be taking Prozac everyday and still be unemployed.

She met Hiro in a bar two years ago, out of pure coincidence and luck. Like most cases of true love, it began with an accident, when Mrs. Suzuki accidentally spilled her drink all over his shirt. He looked at her in the eye, and she did the same. The two slept together on that same night, and soon became so inseparable that now Mrs. Suzuki was planning to marry him the next year.

This thought made her laugh on the inside. It had been many years, but what would that bitch that played Cinderella think or say if she saw Mrs. Suzuki with Hiro? "_She must be selling her ass for some crack right now. She's probably poor and single, thinking that her beauty would give her everything easily. Serves her right."- _thought the wannabe actress with a devious smile.

A great love life didn't make her a better actress, for sure. She still had trouble with expressing the creepy, psycho-like vibes her superiors asked her to do. According to the Program rules, all of the teachers should behave like complete psychos, and were allowed to shoot and kill students if it was necessary. Why? Because it would make the class more nervous and nervous people kill others more easily.

Mrs. Suzuki's thoughts were interrupted by her lover's comments about the girl on the screen. "Her name is Kumiko Noma. So far, she's the one who has killed the most, and also the one who has the biggest chances of winning. Look at her weapons, honey. I already bet a lot of money on her for this edition's win."

Mrs. Suzuki didn't really like what she saw in those cameras, but had no other choice but to keep looking at them. Besides the one where Kumiko was now walking away after killing Rena, another camera showed the body of Girl #16, Miki Nakayoshi, clearly stabbed in the neck near a fountain. Another contained the pitiful remains of Girl #4 Tomoko Kobi and Girl #22 Tsukiko Amano, who were sliced by a chainsaw and shot to death inside a house. Above that camera, there was the one of the same house's bathroom, showing the body of Girl #18 Sato Mizunoe, who shot herself in the head. And finally, another camera on the right side of the room showed the dead Girl #6, Kageri Shouzaku, bludgeoned to death by a brick.

Those images made Mrs. Suzuki want to vomit. But she would get fired for incompetency if she did.

"What are the other good candidates?"- asked her to her boyfriend.

"The second favorite after Kumiko is Girl #11, Misa Fujiwara. She has killed only one person so far, but showed impressive fighting skills. Besides, she's strong and smart, has good reflexes and it doesn't help that she is as or even more beautiful than Kumiko."

"What about Girl #10, Yoriko Shibasaki? She already killed one of her classmates too."- For Mr. Suzuki, Yoriko was an interesting person to root for. She was kind natured but also knew how to defend herself, and her exaggerated care for her friend, Girl #3 Chitose Higurashi, was big enough to make her kill anyone who tried to hurt her. However, it could also be considered an act of foolishness.

"No way. The murder she committed was clearly accidental, and I don't think she is smart enough to survive much longer. So it means that the only one who's actively playing to win in this year's Program is Kumiko. There are no threats to her power so far." – Hiro left out a soft, sad sigh. He usually enjoyed watching that game; it was fun to see some kids killing each other. But not this time. Who would want to see beautiful girls like those getting killed? Maybe that was the reason why, compared to the previous editions, that game was having relatively low audience levels on TV, so far.

"Exactly the opposite of what we thought, right?" – asked his girlfriend, just as realistic as him.

"Yeah… it seems it's going to be a very weak season." – The real reason for the realization of an all girls Program wasn't that the country was being controlled by a woman. The former dictator's wife had little to no real power, as the oligarchs from industrial and agricultural branches were behind all of her decisions and commands. The idea came because, after analyzing the previous Programs, the officials noticed that many prominent female killers arose at the beginning of all editions. However, they tended to die soon afterwards, killed by the stronger men who were playing with them. An all-girls edition was a try to make all the potential female winners rise to prominence. The girls had potential, they only needed more opportunities.

"Well, I don't think we should give up our hopes so early in the game." – said Mrs. Suzuki, trying to comfort her lover. "I mean, many girls have not started killing yet, but they are planning to do so. Look at Girl #14, Kagura Soga. She's talking to herself all the time now, saying that she wants to see her friends dead."

"We don't need people like her. She's just insane." – replied Hiro. "What we need are girls who actually know what they are doing and will do it without hesitation of remorse. Girls who can fight, and girls who can murder someone without getting affected afterwards. Girls who are determined enough to focus on their objective: winning the game. This is the type of people this country needs, if we want to get the upper hand over America one day."

"Talking about psycho bitches…" – a soldier standing behind Hiro spoke for the first time. "I've gathered some very interesting information about Kumiko, our favorite player. Even though she's fifteen, she lives a very different life compared to the other girls from her class and age."

"Really? Now I'm interested. What kind of problematic life a killer like her would have?" – What surprised Mrs. Suzuki was the fact that someone so beautiful, with porcelain skin and hazel eyes, could also be so merciless and cruel. Usually, the main killers in the Program tended to be the ugly ones, who were constantly bullied at school and wanted revenge.

"First of all, she does not have a father or a mother. Her legal guardian is her uncle, who is a painter and takes care of her since she was seven."- continued the soldier.

"I don't see anything strange with that." – answered the female teacher. Adopted kids were nothing new to The Program. The traitor who managed to escape five years ago, for example, was an orphan. After he managed to leave to America, the orphanage where he grew up in was burned down by the government in retaliation. Even some children were killed, because they tried to attack the soldiers with rocks and everything else they could find.

"Her secrets are on the details, sir. When I talked to her uncle, he did not seem be sad over her departure and possible death. He was happy and joyful." – He paused for a moment and then resumed his talk. "Also, according to him, Kumiko only does two things while she's not at school: painting in her bedroom, completely locked away from everything, or going with her friends to places only God knows where. She never talks to him."

"And what is your conclusion?" – asked the handsome Hiro. For him, there was nothing abnormal or out of the usual with girls who don't talk to their parents or guardians. He knew that nowadays most school girls are promiscuous and vain, neglecting their older relatives and behaving selfishly. It was one of the reasons why the Program was created.

"When we went to her bedroom…" – sweat started to drip from the soldier's skin. He was scared of something, and seemed to have been traumatized. "We saw three paintings that she made all by herself. They said a lot about her character, so we decided to bring them here to show them to the nation in case she wins. If that happens, these paintings will go to the national Battle Royale museum, built last year in honor of our beloved annual tradition." – It was hard for him to speak, and he seemed to drown in his own words, paralyzed by fear. "Her uncle agreed with our plan. According to him, he didn't want to see such monstrosities anymore."

"And where are they?" – Mrs. Suzuki was extremely curious. Even though she sensed that it wasn't something good, she still felt curious.

"Follow me." – The soldier left the room, followed by Hiro and his girlfriend. They passed through the long hallway after the large door on their right. It was filled with pictures of the previous Program winners, along with the classes where which one belonged to. In a way, it preserved the memory of the dead, for the future generations.

The three government officials reached the end of the hallway and turned left. They got to an intersection between two small hallways, and on the wall there was a small closet. The soldier grabbed his key and opened the locked door in instants.

Inside the closet, the shapes of the paintings were visible, but not the images. The lights were turned off, making it an extremely dark and creepy place.

"Before I turn the lights on…" – announced the soldier. He had his back completely turned away from the paintings, so that he wouldn't see them again. "I would like to warn the two of you that what you are about to see is absolutely terrifying. If you want to leave, then do it while you still can."

Hiro and Mrs. Suzuki stood there firmly. They had to know it now, it was impossible not to.

"OK then." – said the soldier before turning on the closet's light.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"- Both Hiro and Mrs. Suzuki screamed. What was that? _Oh my God, it can't be this, it just can't…"_

The paintings had the same effect on the couple as the opening of the box had on Pandora. They immediately regretted it and cursed their own curiosity.

The painting on the left depicted a huge black butterfly, with its wings wide open and occupying the entire painting. However, it was clear that it had landed in bright red blood. Besides, it wasn't a normal butterfly. There were a pair of yellow, cold and sharp eyes on its wings, and the insect's body was actually a demon. It had black arms with long and sharp claws, big teeth, and a pair of horns. Its body was as hairy as a rat's, and it seemed like the "butterfly" had been sent directly from hell, or it was Satan himself.

The picture in the middle was even more terrifying. It showed the face of a little girl, around seven years old, who had her neck twisted to the right in an unnatural angle. It wasn't clear if she was alive or dead. Her small white hands were covering her face as if she was screaming, and her fingernails were long, crooked and painted black. The girl's eyes were completely red, and she was crying blood all over her face. Blood was also freely flowing from her mouth. The wall behind the girl had a very strange wallpaper, with several black butterflies printed on it and some drops of blood flowing down. But nothing was scarier than the expression in her eyes, which was a mixture of pure anger and malice. She seemed to look inside the soul of everyone who looked at her.

"_Who would paint something like this?"_- thought the frightened Mrs. Suzuki. She wanted to destroy those paintings and run the hell away from there, but she still had to see the painting on the right first.

The painting on the right was even worse than the other two. It showed an average kitchen table, with forks, knives, a plate and a cup. Inside the cup, though, there was a strange green substance, which could be poison, mud or something even worse. But what made that painting simply nightmarish was what was about to be eaten. There was a bloodied baby on top of the plate, and he seemed to have been aborted. He was dead, his dilated pupils growing like a black hole of darkness and despair. His tiny hands seemed to be calling for help.

It was clear that Kumiko was a good painter. The images had a lot of details, with bright colors and a realistic style. However, that wasn't human. Those paintings were something only a psychopath or a real monster would make.

"_Kumiko Noma…"_- Mrs. Suzuki thought while her eyes opened wide. "_Who, or better, what is this girl?_

* * *

><p>AUTHOR'S NOTE<p>

First of all, it's not my responsibility if any of the readers have nightmares after reading the description of Kumiko's paintings.

This chapter turned out to be very different from what it was originally planned to be. Initially, Mrs. Suzuki was supposed to be a lesbian, who had a secret relationship with her work colleague. Kumiko's paintings would also not be mentioned, and the two women would talk about their relationship and gender roles in Japan. I realized that making Mrs. Suzuki a lesbian would not add anything to the story, and the homosexual character became Yoriko instead.

Also, I would like to thank the great writer and user Formahault for convincing me to break the "evil teacher" cliché. I decided to put on a real reason for Mr. Suzuki to do what she does, even though she does not like it. I recommend his/her fanfic, "How NOT to write a Battle Royale fanfic", because I'll help you a lot if you are planning of writing one. I confess that I regret some things of what I did in this fanfic so far, especially during my first chapters.

I would like to thank the users Percival Jones and OggytheOgre for the excellent reviews they have been giving me. Please continue your good work guys; your stories are also very good and interesting.

See you all on the next chapter!


	15. Masks

**Chapter 15**

It was beautiful. So beautiful. A true work of art.

People might look like angels and princesses while they are alive, but everyone turns beautiful after death. A dead body is the most peaceful, gorgeous and lovely form a human being can have in his entire life.

Rena Kuroda's body was an example of it. Her completely dilated pupils, reflecting all the darkness that she was seeing. Her bloody, broken body, ruptured by six bullet holes. The jelly-like substance that was her brain, garnishing her head like a bloody crown. Her bloodied hair and disfigured face, sliced and cut by several glass shards.

This was the reason why Kumiko Noma spent so much time looking at her classmate's body. She was admiring its beauty, making herself proud of the perfect masterpiece of art that she had created.

It had been a long time since she had stopped looking. It was already 5 pm, and the orange glow of sundown bathed Saitama in light before sinking it into complete darkness. Kumiko was now walking south, heading for the Kagurazaka Manor. It seemed to be the best place available to hide and find shelter. She didn't exactly know which zone she was in, but it seemed to be around line D or E. Kumiko wondered if there was someone already hiding there. Not that it mattered. As soon as she arrived at the place, the class beauty would grab her Walter PPK and Browning Hi-Power (she had discarded the Derringer where she killed Rena. It wasn't as good as the Browning and three pistols were too heavy) and shoot the girl dead on the spot. No hesitations or laments. She would just shoot until her victory came earlier.

Most girls would be tormented after killing in The Program. They would cry, go insane and hit themselves, until they realized that they had been born to do that. Not Kumiko, though. The class beauty was different than the others; better.

Unlike her classmates, Kumiko knew who she was, and knew other people much better than how they thought she did. The girl could see everything that was hidden under their kind facades: Because behind their constant gossip, their false friendships, their plastic smiles, there were selfish monsters that couldn't care less about anyone but themselves.

Before reaching the beauty and the nirvana of being dead, humans still have to suffer and inflict on others the pain of being alive. It is what makes human life completely worthless. For Kumiko, everyone else, including her own classmates, lived to harm others. They lived to pretend their false kindness, to betray their friends, to try to be more popular so that they could bully others. She was the only one who could see their selfishness, their stupidity, their cowardice, their arrogance, their backstabbing, their lies, and their promiscuity.

Tsukiko and Tomoko, for example, would have betrayed and killed her sooner or later, after they became the only ones left. Why not killing them first, then? It saved her from a lot of trouble and helped her "friends" in a way, as two pieces of shit like them wouldn't live much anyway.

As Kumiko kept walking through the passageways and crossroads, paying close attention to the street map so that she wouldn't lose her way, a small but beautiful butterfly approached the girl, flying gracefully towards her. It landed on her hair, causing Kumiko to start playing with it, keeping the butterfly with her as much as possible before it flew away.

The insect was completely black. Kumiko's favorite color, the only one she enjoyed.

The class beauty remembered her days at home, many years ago, when she took her time torturing and killing insects. She smiled after seeing their arms and legs being ripped off, the screams that would never come from their mouths. Especially the butterflies, she loved hurting and killing them. In the only drawer that she had, several of their corpses laid.

Except for the black ones. Kumiko never killed a black butterfly like the one which just landed on her; she did not even hurt them. Every time she tried, her hands got paralyzed, immobile. The small and frail minority was also the most beautiful one. The only type of butterfly that deserved to live.

"_I guess I don't look like a princess anymore" _– thought Kumiko about her own slashed face, before bursting out laughing on the inside. Of course she did not look like a princess, because they didn't exist. No one is pure and chaste, to the point of eating a poisoned apple while being guided by blind innocence. Fairy tales were made for children, who did not really understand the true nature of the world. They did not know how cruel life is, who people really are.

But in the Battle Royale, something good always happened. Those girls who spent their entire time at school talking about their hair and pretending to like their friends would soon lose their masks. Soon, they would all awake the demon inside their souls, and release their cruel and selfish side. And then, there would be violence. Blood would be shed, people would die, and "innocent" girls would turn to cold-blooded killers, much like Kumiko herself.

After all of them showed who they really were, they would die, turning into beautiful, lovely dolls. Until only Kumiko remained alive, to be the winner of the game. She deserved to win, because she was the only one who did not use any mask. Kumiko was just who she was, accepting her true nature and implanting fear in her classmates so that they would gradually do the same.

A place with no lies, a place that exposes its cruel reality: this was Kumiko's ideal world to live. A world with no magical fairies or princesses, with no fairy tales.

If The Program itself was a fairy tale, Kumiko knew that she would be the wicked witch, the evil queen, the cruel stepmother. She would be the one who always lost in the end, who never had the joy of receiving a happy ending.

All of them were nothing but misjudgments, with no real value.

Kumiko did not feel a single ounce of guilt over those images people created for her.

After all, she knew that it was all her mother's fault.

* * *

><p>In The Program, an ideal hiding spot should be a place where it was easy to protect and dangerous to attack. Somewhere with metal doors, hard to break if shot at, and few windows, so that an attacker could not get in easily. It needed to have some sort of escape exit, in case its occupants found it unable to defend themselves and were forced to run away.<p>

By these reasons and many others, the house where Asuka Yamanaka and Kyoko Tachibana were hiding in since the last announcement was _not_ one of these places.

The house was very small, having only one bedroom and a small living room with a kitchen attached to it. It was made entirely of wood, offering little to no protection against bullets or fire. Its furniture was old and fragile. Maybe it had already been abandoned before The Program started.

However, that house was relatively isolated, being localized the backyards of a very peaceful neighborhood. Zone H-7 was a hard place to get to, and this simple fact could only make the girls happier. There were better houses out there, but they were all locked and had two floors, making it harder for them to successfully break the windows with rocks.

Right now, the two best friends were trying to erase the memories not only of the last announcement, but also the knowledge that the next one would come very, very soon. After all, it was already 5:45 pm. They had just eaten their lunch, some chicken with bread and salad, and Asuka was now washing the dishes. Meanwhile, Kyoko watched over the house's small window with Asuka's Glock.

"_This one might be the last meal we're going to eat in our lives." – _Thought Asuka while hanging the chicken utensils to dry. If she and Kyoko weren't as close as they were, she would have never given her own weapon away. The girl was risking herself by doing that. What if Kyoko decided to shoot her while keeping guard? They were friends but…

But Kyoko was better. Sure, she was more fragile than Asuka and cried easily, but she was better. Asuka would probably not live without her friend, but the other way around… maybe. With so many friends and a handsome boyfriend, Kyoko would have many things to go back to in case she won. On the other hand, Asuka's biggest achievement in life, her friendship with Kyoko, would fall apart in case any of the two died. Everyone needs a reason to live, unless you are a plant or a stone.

Still, Asuka wanted to live. She felt the need to hug and kiss her father once more, and to be in a classroom one more time even though she didn't like school that much. And above it all, to play her violin again. It was a gift from her grandmother when she was six, and from then on the girl and her instrument were closer to each other more than most married couples were. Asuka felt herself relieved from everything while playing it, like if for a moment all eyes were turned on her and only her music mattered. No more ignoring mothers, no more desperate searches for a boyfriend: a simple musical instrument became the center of the universe, dragging all the small planets named worries with its gravity.

"Hey, Asuka." – called Kyoko from the door. "It's your turn to watch over us now." – handing Asuka's pistol back to its original owner, Kyoko went for the dishes while her friend looked after the window.

Deep inside, Asuka wanted to think that it was pointless to guard the window and wait for an attacker. Girls are more sociable by nature, and the constant promises of waiting for your friends inside that forbidden classroom did not fool Asuka. Most girls were in groups by now, and the ones who walked by themselves, like Miki Nakayoshi and Sato Mizunoe, were all dead. Or at least most of them.

However, the four deaths from the first announcement could not be ignored. How did Tomoko Kobi and Tsukiko Amano get killed, for example? Sure, they were both bitches and certainly deserved it; after all they were the cause of Sato's suicide. But for two delinquent girls like them to die at once and so early, it would take an even worse person to do it. Someone like…

"Kumiko Noma."- Asuka's words broke the silence in the room. "I think that she's playing."

"Why? I don't see any evidence." – Kyoko turned around and faced her friend for years. Usually capable of understanding everything easily, the prettier girl in that small house had her eyes filled with doubt.

"When we heard the first announcement, that whore who sent us to our deaths said that Tomoko and Tsukiko were killed by someone they actually trusted on. She said that they shouldn't have done that, because it made them get betrayed and killed. Do you understand what I mean?" – Asuka tried to sound wise and smart, but knew that it made her more like a boring person, someone truly annoying to be around.

"Well, we don't have enough proofs. We didn't see their bodies, and I know that no one in class trusts them. It could have been anyone." – answered Kyoko, sounding much more convincing than her friend.

"Exactly. You've reached my point girl." – answered Asuka. Kyoko's look of confusion was funnier than how she thought it would be. It seemed that Asuka was the one who had the leadership, for once. "We know that no one in class trusts them, so why would we assume that Kumiko does? I mean, she's quiet and mysterious, and never showed any signs of special affection for them in public. They might have trusted her as a friend, but she was afraid of them and decided to attack first. And succeeded.

Kyoko's face morphed itself into a multitude of distinct expressions: from puzzlement to shock, from shock to fear, and finally from fear to a strange type of sorrow. She had understood.

"Kumiko Noma." – Kyoko sighed and took a deep breath. It seemed like several hours had passed while she was saying those two words. "What the hell is wrong with her? Or better, what the hell is wrong with all of us? First Sato, and now, if you are right, Kumiko. I still don't understand." – Kyoko started doing the same thing she did every time she felt her emotions taking over. Instead of repressing herself like Asuka, she let them all out, crying.

Suddenly, Kyoko's tears slowed down, her mouth opened with a grin of rage, and her right hand curled itself into a fist. The next time she spoke, her voice was clear, determined. Like a real leader.

"But if that announcement had said that Sato got killed by someone, and we found out that this someone is Kumiko, I would kill her." – Asuka's eyes opened wide. "I would tear her from limb to limb; rip that pretty face of her into shreds. So that she would know how Sato felt during her entire life."

It seemed that The Program was affecting anyone in a way. No one was safe from its negative influence. Asuka tried to think of several words to calm her friend down, but ended up choosing only a few.

"I don't think that Nobuo would like to hear you saying this."

Instantly, Kyoko's anger disappeared; her emotional roller coaster went on another looping. The looping of Romeo and Juliet-like love, the pure type of love that never ends well but it's still worth trying. Something that you know it's useless to keep believing in, but you still hold on to it.

Asuka decided to ask what she wanted to know since a month before, when during a party she overhead Kyoko talking to her other friends. Somehow, Asuka was left out of that conversation, making her realize that she wasn't as important to Kyoko as Kyoko was to her. It was the best moment for asking that question, there would be no other opportunities. They could die at anytime, so there couldn't be any secrets.

"You guys have been fucking a lot recently, haven't you?" – asked Asuka.

Kyoko was paralyzed in an instant. She was caught by surprise; her throat froze after hearing those words. Asuka could see that she was right about what she had heard only by her friend's facial expression. It's strange how life works in modern times, with internet and cell phones everywhere. No matter how much you try to keep a secret, your friends always find out. And then they spread it around.

"Look, Asuka, it is not what you are thinking. I love him, we have some more intimate things together sometimes, but we don't go that fa-"– Kyoko tried to sound defensive, but was cut short.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" – For some reason, Asuka felt that her entire body seemed to burn.

Kyoko tried to mutter an answer, desperately searching for it, ravaging her own brain in order to search for information. But the words slipped from her mouth, escaped from her tongue, and finally fell on the floor, abandoned and forgotten. Kyoko knew that it wasn't what Asuka wanted to hear, but she did not have anything else in mind.

"I didn't want to hurt you, Asuka."

Asuka had hunted deers with her father before; it would be easy to shoot Kyoko dead right there.

But Asuka couldn't do it; her anger was too strong.

The worst thing was not that Asuka had a long time crush on Kyoko's boyfriend, or that her best friend's body had already been deflowered by him. It was that Kyoko _knew_ it. She knew that Asuka was in love with her man, but still kept being friends with her. She thought that Asuka wouldn't be harmed by all the times she saw them making out, holding each other's hands, or stating how much they loved each other out loud. Kyoko believed that their friendship would come before love, as they knew each other for much longer than they knew Nobuo. She foolishly thought that her friend was blind and all forgiving, like the angel she became while playing the violin.

Well, good for her.

"Too bad. You already have." – Asuka would never look at her friend's eyes the same way. Not again. Instead, the thin and average looking Japanese girl turned her back away from her only partner, and walked towards the wooden door that led to the bedroom while the first tear started to fall. Even though she had not been shot or choked, Asuka only saw red. And after she stepped into the safest place in that fucked-up house, the girl did not simply close the door: she made it crack like a broken bell.

While Asuka cried on one of the beds, she listened to Kyoko's sobs in the kitchen. Music. A song that was so beautiful it needed only one instrument to be played. A broken heart.

"_She can cry all she wants. But at least she won't die a virgin like me." _– There wasn't much use in seeing her family again. They would all get tearful and suddenly become nice to her, only for her mother to show how much she loved Asuka's sisters more a few days later. The violin? Well, she could still sing in The Program. And maybe she would find a good instrument in another house.

For a moment, Asuka wished that her school also had guys, instead of only girls.

There's a popular belief that girls don't like sex as much as men do, but it's a complete lie. They only do not say it as openly, as their brains are positioned on the upper part of their bodies. Sex is a human necessity, and without it you cannot perpetuate your genes or reproduce. In a biological sense, a life without sex is a worthless one. Therefore, Asuka would never fulfill her real mission on Earth.

Unless she won The Program, of course.

The girl felt happy for something; she managed to make Kyoko cry. Sure, that girl was much weaker than she showed, but at least she only shed her tears after her emotions took over. She never cried after losing a fight. Maybe because she never lost one before.

And yet, Asuka was now on top. The virgin, the not that pretty girl, the one who wasn't perfect. The girl who secretly envied her best friend since fifth grade, an envy that grew more and more for years, hidden by the cloak of admiration. An admiration that never existed.

For the first time, Asuka felt glad that she had gotten selected for The Program: it always reveals the truth, always exposes who you really are, and turns the eyes of the world directly at you, like the sun that dominates the solar system.

The girl sat on the bed and raised her head towards the ceiling, hoping for some form of divine illumination. It did not come. It seemed that she was alone again.

Still, it did not matter. Asuka tried to laugh, but only a small giggle came out.

Sadly, the second announcement echoed from the speakers around Saitama, interrupting her thoughts. But before she heard those cursed words, Asuka could still say a small sentence, as low as possible so that her friend did not hear it.

"It was good while it lasted, Kyoko."

* * *

><p>AUTHOR'S NOTE<p>

This is a very dark chapter. Not in a violent way, as it has little gore. I wanted to flesh out more Asuka and Kyoko, and also Kumiko. Asuka's envy wasn't something that was planned at first, she and Kyoko were supposed to be the best friends anyone could wish to have. But no one is perfect in real life, and so I decided that there should be a conflict between them. Especially in The Program, the place where all old grudges come out.

Kumiko's way of viewing the world is, in my opinion, absolutely terrifying. However, there are many people like this, including in the original (Mitsuko Souma and Sho Tsukioka, for example). It's impossible to understand her reasoning while her backstory is not revealed, but I promise that it will be worth the wait.

Recently, I've got myself thinking about what I would do if I had gotten selected for a Battle Royale. After analyzing the original, my own story and many other fanfics, I've reached a conclusion: I would play to win. It would be the way that would offer me the biggest chances of survival.

The more I write this story, the more I lose my own faith in humanity.


	16. Judas

**Chapter 16**

"Hello, princesses!" – The evening announcement began at exactly 6 pm, raising itself above any other sound.

"Are you all enjoying the beautiful sunset? Well, I hope that all of you who can hear this are, because, unless no one dies in the next couple of announcements, it will be the last opportunity to see the twilight for most of you!" – Mrs. Suzuki kept giggling for a long time and then continued.

"However, I cannot deny how much I'm disappointed. Only two kills in the last six hours? Come on, girls, I know that the class is small, but you proved me last announcement that you can do better than this! Anyway…"

Mrs. Suzuki stopped for a while to read the names of the dead. She forgot it frequently and always looked at her script to remember who had been killed.

"The first gentle lady who died young was Girl #6, Kageri Shouzaku. For the lack of better words, she tried to crush someone else's life and got herself crushed instead. Well, Kageri, you should have used your brain more and realized that guns have safeties! Next, we've got the shocking death of Girl #17, Rena Kuroda. If I were you, Rena, I would have done some shooting training before the Program, because the way you fired your pistol was awful. Shame you cannot try it now, huh?"- Mrs. Suzuki tried to be sadistic, but she overacted a lot. The living girls would all laugh at her, if she wasn't talking about the death of their classmates.

"Let's move to the Danger Zones. In one hour, at 7 pm, zone F-1 will become a danger zone. At 9 pm, A-8. Finally, zone E-6 at 11 pm. This is all, ladies. Let's kill some more, shall we?" And then she finished the announcement.

* * *

><p>Regret and guilt are not the same thing.<p>

Guilt is defined by science and most dictionaries as a very emotional form of regret, in which the victim does not only feel sadness and anger over past actions, but also depreciates and blames himself for what happened.

Both feelings are parasites. They take over the mind in instants, and once they do it, it becomes almost impossible to get rid of them. Many people suffer from remorse over a single action for their entire lives, and some even commit suicide because of it.

Misa Fujiwara wasn't the type of girl who spends a lot of time feeling sorry for herself, much less thinking about suicide. But after killing in self defense (which is still murder, no matter what people say), the girl was seriously pondering about changing her principles.

"_Did I really not have a choice?" _When Misa saw Kageri Shouzaku's bloody body lying a few feet away from her, she could only feel anger and joy. Those feelings were replaced by sadness, a strange form of sorrow. Some strange feeling was forming itself in Misa's throat. Kageri wasn't the smartest or the nicest person in the world, but no one deserves to die while being still 15.

And worst of all, she could have spared Kageri's life. When Misa used the brick to hit her classmate in the face, the make-up loaded girl got disoriented long enough for her to grab her gun. Without the .44 AutoMag, Kageri was harmless, and certainly would not live much longer in that murderous game. Misa could have only threatened her with the gun and walked away, freeing herself of all troubles and dangers. She would have to shoot Kageri in case she tried to get the gun back, but she could also avoid the girl's death by shooting her in a non-fatal area.

"_What would grandma say if she saw what I did?"_

For Misa, her grandmother was, pure and simple, the best person in the world. A widow who was almost reaching 90 years old, her vitality matched her intelligence. She gave Misa good advice, but never overdid it, so that her wise presence was never boring or annoying to be around. If the students had been allowed to receive a helper during The Program, Misa would have chosen her grandma, big time.

"_She's probably not watching me right now. She would have a heart attack if she did."_

So that was how it was. Unless she won that thing, Misa would never see her grandmother again; much less hear her wise words. But still, she didn't consider herself winning. It was obvious that no one in her family would want her to kill for it. Right now, they were probably crying on their sofas, weeping on their beds, and swearing at the television. Watching Misa murdering Kageri on TV probably made them even more terrified. They did not raise their daughter for that.

"_I wish I could say otherwise, but I don't have any other options besides playing. At least in self defense". _When Mrs. Suzuki said that they would kill or be killed, Misa did not really believe in it. But reality was faster than her ideals. She could still try escaping, but did not have a plan. And even if she did, it would be hard to make it work. She would need to ally with more people, and after being attacked by Kageri, Misa was sure that she should trust no one. Besides, every time someone tried to defy the government, they failed. In the past, many deceased students got close, and some even tried to blow up the school with a bomb. A couple managed to escape five years ago, and even managed to kill The Program instructor! However, their tactic wouldn't work anymore, due to the several cameras installed on every single part of the city. And after those two escaped, both became fugitives for the rest of their lives.

Still, Misa admired them.

"_I don't know your names, guys, but you need to know that you are both heroes. You did what we all want to do. I hope The Program is stopped one day."_

Misa loved her country. She would never replace Japan for America, or any other democracy in the world. She smiled every time she sang the national anthem, or looked at the Japanese flag. Also, Misa didn't actively want her country to become a democracy, as she was smart enough to know that there are flaws in both systems. But The Program… that wasn't human.

"_They say that they are controlling the youth, giving them an injection of patriotism. But this is not fair. For each delinquent kid who dies, ten innocent ones bite the dust. That girl, Sato, committed suicide because of this game. Rena also died a while ago. Did they deserve it? Hell no. Nobody did, not even Kageri."_

The memory of Kageri made Misa shiver in guilt all over again. But she controlled herself. She couldn't go insane, she never would.

Anyway, the girl did understand how Sato felt. Unlike what the other girls thought, Misa had not always been beautiful. Until around seventh grade, she was short and overweight, no more attractive than Sato or Kagura Soga. Besides, her appearance made her painfully shy and an easy target for the meanest girls at school.

Thankfully, her grandmother helped her against the bullying. She told her granddaughter not only to be proud of who she was and to like herself more, but also to fight back. According to Misa's grandma, those girls were also insecure and shy, using their image of strong and violent as a façade to hide their feelings. They would never solve their own problems, because they refused to accept them. "The only way of teaching this type of people is with a good slap", she used to say.

Misa obeyed. On the next day of school after that talk, one of those three girls called her fat. Instead of ignoring it and dying inside a little more, Misa slapped her. When that girl tried to punch her back, Misa threw her on the ground and pulled her hair, slapping her harder and harder. Finally, the bully gave up and went to the teacher crying. Her friends also ran way, much like the cowards they were.

From them on, Misa's life only got better. Puberty was generous for her, making her develop curves quickly and turning her childish face into a mature, serene one. Her lifestyle also helped, as Misa started to exercise herself constantly in order to get thinner, and also to treat her acne. Soon, she had some good friends, and the guys at school and outside of it came to know that she existed.

Until The Program began, crushing all of her hopes and dreams.

"_Stay calm, girl, stay calm… it is not time to cry for what hasn't happened yet."_ Thought Misa, wiping away the sweat on her forehead. She knew that she had good chances of winning the game, even if she did not kill anybody anymore. She had a good weapon at the moment, did not have to worry about food, as her duffel bag was now filled with sweets she took from the bakery store, and the small number of contestants in the game made her chances of surviving even higher.

Why didn't she stay at the bakery store then? Sure, that place had enough food, but little else. Not even a bathroom. It was hard for her to avoid being discovered there, and the store did not have a place to sleep, for obvious reasons. It was smarter to go to a better place to hide, even if she was risking herself by walking alone on the streets, at night.

"Kazukawa Inn. This is a good place." Thought Misa, while opening her map and checking her own position. She was now on D-6, while the hotel was on zone B-9. It would take a couple of hours to get there, but it would be a much shorter trip than going to zone H, for example.

Reaffirming her intentions of surviving, Misa kept walking towards the hotel, not knowing that an odd pair of cousins was already taking shelter there.

* * *

><p>"Oh, Rena… Oh my God, Rena…. I'm sorry, so sorry…"<p>

The white tablecloth at the center of the room was completely wet. Not with spilled soda or ketchup, but with Natsumi Moriguchi's tears.

After all the stress she had been through while being attacked by Kumiko Noma, her reward was the knowledge that her best friend had been killed. Yes, Rena, the greatest girl in the world, had been probably shot to death by that bitch. Natsumi was now all alone, hiding in a small fast food store that did not even have a name. Worse, if she remained on zone A-8 for a few more hours, she would have her collar blow up.

"Alone" was an exaggerated word. Aya Tsunaba was there with her, calmly sitting opposite to Natsumi and eating some fries. Normally, Natsumi would dread being next to her, but after Rena's death, Aya simply did not exist anymore. She was just standing there, like a statue, while Natsumi's thoughts and memories went back to Rena.

Rena was the reason why Natsumi became such a funny girl. It was the girl with pigtails who started to enjoy her friend's company first, and not the other way around. However, despite not being ugly or an outcast, Natsumi used to think that Rena was too much for her. They did not like the same things, and did not have that many classes and activities in common. While Rena was into track and soccer, Natsumi did ballet and chorus. It seemed like they would be classmates forever and nothing more.

Until a day four years ago, when Natsumi saw a comedy show on TV. Although they had to be careful about the jokes they made, or otherwise the government would have them executed, those comedians really had talent. Natsumi never laughed so much before, and her family couldn't appreciate it more. Natsumi wasn't the best person to be around when she got angry, and sometimes she would even curse at her own parents. If she got a bad grade or felt ignored at school, it was impossible to resist the girl's fury. No one could deny, though, that her personality improved a lot since she decided to tell jokes and be funny.

The next day, Natsumi decided to tell the jokes she learned on TV to Rena. All of them. Soon, Rena was asking for another joke every time she got bored, and Natsumi started to watch that program every night. The girls got closer and closer, and went together to a comedic show a month later. It was the beginning of their friendship.

For a while they only had each other, until Shizuko Honda came into the group two years ago. Natsumi did not like her at first; she was a little too arrogant due to her appearance and success. Not that Natsumi would refuse to help or even talk to Shizuko; she would just not become her friend.

However, her fame as the class clown had spread through the class quickly, and soon Shizuko started asking her for jokes as well. Surprisingly, Shizuko laughed louder than the others, and never forgot to congratulate Natsumi, who started to reconsider her vision of the pregnant girl, for her good work. And all of a sudden, the pair became a trio.

But Shizuko wasn't important. Not even her pregnancy, that caused her friends so much trouble, existed for Natsumi. Only Rena actually mattered. And Rena was dead: shot, stabbed or whatever. If there was someone that Natsumi would never manage to crack a laugh out of, it was herself.

Natsumi did not become the class clown to get more popular. She did it because of Rena. In case they had never become friends, Natsumi would be unhappy. Nothing would satisfy her enough, she would always ask for more. With Rena though, she didn't need anything else besides being her friend. Nothing made Natsumi more confident, more full of life, than seeing Rena's smile, or listening to her joyful laughter.

Laughter. It was everything Natsumi needed.

She tried to focus on the good times she had with her friends, and to forget about The Program. But the only image that came to her mind was of the bullets flying through the air, Rena's bloody hands, and Kumiko's sadistic smile. Instead of laughing, Natsumi burned with anger, desiring, no, _needing _to find Kumiko and Mrs. Suzuki, tie them both to chairs and then beat the shit out of the.."

"Hahahahahahahahahaha!" A female laughter filled the room. Natsumi took a while to identify the person who thought that her anger and Rena's death was something funny.

Aya, indifferent to Natsumi's pain, was laughing her ass off while eating her fries. Her smile and cheerful tone did not hide anything: she immensely enjoyed Natsumi's suffering.

"_I shouldn't have trusted this bitch."_ Thought the girl with pigtails, while preparing herself to strangle Aya with her bare hands. Since they got separated from Rena, Aya continued keeping her mouth shut most of the time, but also self-proclaimed herself as the leader and started giving orders to Natsumi. The idea of hiding in that restaurant was hers, and she was also the one who baked her fries all by herself (she was extremely good at cooking). Natsumi obeyed her blindly, too scared and heartbroken to question anything. The girl did not even run away while she had the chance. She actually did the right thing, because Aya had a useful weapon, and if they decided to split, Natsumi would be completely defenseless.

Aya kept laughing, not worried about the possibility of being heard and attracting potential killers, like Kumiko. Meanwhile, Natsumi's anger boiled and boiled, until she finally got enough of it.

"SHUT UP!" Jumping from her chair as higher as possible, Natsumi lunged her arms at Aya and strongly pushed her to the floor. The strange girl fell along with her chair, hitting the hard floor with a small grunt of pain. For a while, she stayed on the floor, before starting to get up very slowly. Natsumi shivered with fear. She had probably made Aya angry.

"_She's going to kill me now that I did that. Damn."_ Despite the overwhelming pleasure after pushing her enemy to the floor, Natsumi slowly came back to her senses, regretting her decision more and more. Aya had the sword, and was now coming fast; with tears falling profusely from her eyes, Natsumi shielded her head to protect herself, even though she knew that it was useless. She had no time to run; Aya was on her before she could turn around.

"_I'm going to see you now, Rena."_

But when Aya got only an inch away from Natsumi, she did something unexpected: instead of attacking, she approached her face towards Natsumi's, and after realizing that the girl with pigtails would not try to run, Aya kissed her in the cheek.

The shock was instantaneous. Natsumi would NEVER get kissed by another girl! Aya was definitely crazy, why did she do something like that? Natsumi wanted to punch Aya, no, she wanted to brutally murder the freak. But fear was still paralyzing her arms, and Natsumi only yelled and swore:

"What the fuck! What the fuck did you do, Aya! What the hell is wrong with you?"

If Natsumi's push did not make Aya angry, her words did. Aya started to slowly raise her katana…

It was too much for Natsumi. First, she had been chased by a psycho, and now she was sharing the same table with another one, as if nothing had happened. Worse, she just got kissed by a girl she absolutely despised. Natsumi cursed at her own foolishness, but there was no way back. If she wanted to live, running was the only option. Turning her back away from Aya, Natsumi started sprinting and quickly ran towards the main door, which was only four feet away.

She wasn't fast enough. Aya ran after her and quickly swung her katana, cutting Natsumi in the back. The curvy blade sliced Natsumi's arteries and damaged her spine, inflicting on her the most horrendous pain a human being is able to feel.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH" The girl with pigtails fell to the floor instantly, with all of her hopes of reaching that door on time completely destroyed. The pain on her back was excruciating, it felt like if she had just been burned with a clothes iron. The slash wasn't that deep, but it went through nearly all of Natsumi's back, in a diagonal-to-the-left pattern. The arterial blood that came shortly after started to pour on the floor, impregnating the air with its smell.

Despite all of the pain, Natsumi still had to reach that door. She was crying like a baby, but giving up was not an option. Rena was now in heaven, watching over her friend, and she couldn't be disappointed. Rena would want Natsumi to live, to survive that game and then tell their story to other people. Crawling towards the door, Natsumi raised her right hand while spitting blood from her mouth. She slowly started to get up, bleeding and sweating. While the pitiful struggle against her inevitable death continued, Aya spoke behind her.

"When Judas sent Jesus to his death, he kissed his master in the cheek. The symbol of his betrayal."

Natsumi was halfway through getting up when Aya easily caught up with her. She quickly and efficiently made a horizontal slash on Natsumi's belly, much deeper than the previous one.

Agony erupted from every pore of the girl's body as she fell to the floor again. That cut was bloodier and ruptured several of Natsumi's organs. Soon the entirety of her uniform was colored bright red. The girl howled in pain on the floor while holding her ruined insides, shaking her legs uncontrollably. With her stomach and intestines perforated, Natsumi vomited blood and everything she ate on the last few days all over the floor.

Natsumi was dying, and dying in a way that no one would wish for. Looking at her own ruined belly, she could clearly see her intestines, spilled on the floor along with bile, gore and more blood. Natsumi's vision turned redder, and blood started to drip down her legs. If her sense of humor was still intact, she would have laughed at the irony of being turned into a burger inside of a fast food. But the feeling of being ripped open and cooked inside a hot stove made it impossible to think.

Suddenly, Aya started to pull Natsumi's hair backwards, making the girl's bloody face stare at Aya's malicious, sadistic one. Through her ruined vision, Natsumi could see that Aya was feeling an orgasmic pleasure over her death. Her small eyes turned into black voids, and her teeth became as pronounced as wolf who's about to eat its prey. And unfortunately for Natsumi, Aya's torture wasn't over yet.

"When Jesus was nailed in the cross, dying a violent and painful death, he asked for water. What he received instead was the sharp blade of a spear, mixed with vinegar, inside of his mouth." After saying those unholy words, Aya inserted her Katana inside Natsumi's mouth and made a third slice, brutally cutting the skin on the left side of the dying girl's face.

Natsumi did not scream. Not only because she was too weak for it, but because blood filled her mouth in such a way that she felt like being suffocated. A sharp pain came from the wound, and after licking the mutilated skin, Natsumi realized that she had suddenly been given a Glascow smile. As she crashed to the floor for the third time, bleeding more profusely than ever, Aya continued her hellish speech:

"Finally, after Jesus died, a roman soldier named Longinus impaled the son of God's ribs with his own spear, to certify himself that He was dead."

Natsumi did not hear anything. Instead, the tortured and brutalized girl stopped struggling and curled into a fetal position, waiting for the final blow. Numbness invaded her body, and as the pain disappeared, images of her life flashed before her eyes. Out of all of them, her best moments with Rena were the ones she could identify the most. _"I'm sorry, Rena… I'm sorry… I failed with you, failed…"_ Tears came pouring down again. Not of pain, but of sincere sadness. Natsumi was alone, hopeless; she would die like a slaughtered pig, unable to fight back, save herself or help anyone. Her life had been worthless, meaningless and short. And all of her thoughts would be over soon.

In the midst of the chaos and pain, the dying girl felt a small burst of joy. Although death was now certain, she wouldn't be alone anymore. Rena would be there, waiting for her, smiling and hugging her friend with her peaceful arms. Natsumi would make her laugh again, and they would soon forget about The Program, cherishing their own fortune. They would patiently wait for Shizuko, and laugh at the faces of Aya and of all the other girls who caused them to die. Because now they would be together n a better place, somewhere where there is no violence, no betrayals and no losses.

Natsumi never really believed in any religion. For her, God was an invention from people who did not want to face reality and then tried to hide themselves in prayer. But now everything that she wanted was for the afterlife to be true, for heaven to really exist, for things not to end there.

Natsumi's wishes were interrupted by an impact on her back. It was Aya's katana, sinking deeply into her body. The metallic weapon impaled Natsumi's left lung and punctured it instantly, but the dying girl only felt a small pain. The blade kept going deeper, cutting through flesh and muscles, and by the time it perforated Natsumi's heart, the girl with bloodied pigtails was already dead. But before Natsumi left this world, she could still muster one last thought.

"_Rena…?"_

But Rena wasn't there. Only darkness. Darkness and silence.

* * *

><p>Aya Tsunaba stared at Natsumi's extremely bloody and ripped body. The girl had been tortured, cut open, disfigured and mutilated. A perfect first kill.<p>

Aya never thought that it would be that easy. Natsumi's "weapon" helped, of course. It wasn't completely useless after all. Now Aya would know who was close to her, thanks for the GPS tracker. She did not kill Natsumi before because of a hidden fear. Rena would probably come to kill her, after knowing that her friend was dead. But after the announcement revealed that Rena was gone, Aya had no time to lose.

For years, she had stood in the background, watching those sinful demons going against God's law and destroying everything that He created. She wanted them to stop sinning, to remember who Christ was and forget about that demon named Buddha. It did not work, because they had the power.

"_But I have the power now. And if all of the sinful sluts in this class did not die before this game, in order to go back to hell, then It's my duty to show them how hell is like myself."_ For Aya, The Program was a great opportunity. It was the perfect time to teach her classmates who actually ruled the world, by inflicting them pain and making them talk to Him personally. Natsumi was the first, the first of a string of teenage girls who would now feel His wrath on their porcelain skins.

In other words, The 2011 Battle Royale had just met a new strong player.

Looking at Natsumi's corpse, which had gotten itself enveloped in a huge lake of blood, Aya Tsunaba smiled.

"_One down."_

**Girl #19, Natsumi Moriguchi- Dead**

**15 to go**

* * *

><p>AUTHOR'S NOTE:<p>

Natsumi's death is probably the most painful murder so far. Worse kills are coming in the future, so if any reader has a sensitive soul I advise you to stop reading. I'm going to describe the blood and gore in detail, after all this story is not rated M for nothing.

Aya is the second villain in the story. She took a while to reveal herself, but from now on she'll get a prominent role and become a main character. Her behavior as a silent and insensitive girl was nothing but a mask to hide her true malevolence.

A small curiosity about Natsumi: her last name, Moriguchi, was taken from the main character of the 2010 Japanese movie "Confessions". It is a masterpiece of revenge cinema and in my opinion, one of the best movies of all time. I highly recommend it to each and every one of you.

Responding to Terryl and Percival Jones: I've changed my mind about what I wrote last chapter, of what I would do in The Program. Playing to win is not the best option, as it makes everyone turn against you. I believe that, realistically speaking, I would try to hide somewhere and kill only in self-defense. I might ally with some people, but only if I know them well in real life and trust them. I think that the best way to survive is counting on someone, but not on everyone.

And thanks for the support. I promise I won't lose my faith in mankind again.


	17. Solitude

**Chapter 17**

"_Lascia chi'o pianga, mia cruda sorte…"_

_V_oices. High or low, loud or soft, male of female. Experienced in singing or not. All of them, beautiful in their own uniqueness.

"_I che sospiri, la liberta."_

In this life, everything can be changed. Some things are easy, like changing a car, a house, or even a spouse. Others require more effort, such as changing a personality. However, there's something which is always permanent for everyone: the human voice. The voice changes a lot during puberty, but afterwards it remains the same. Most people tend to have an average voice, not able to sing exceptionally but perfectly capable of doing it. Some are unluckily given annoying and moody voices, which completely destroy any chances of good singing. There is also a rare amount of people born with the privilege of having a wonderful, powerful voice. And Shizuko Honda was one of them.

"_Il duolo infranga, queste ritorte…"_

The girl wasn't only singing with her lips, but also with her heart. Shizuko's voice was angelic and pure, filling every single space in the air. She could sing like that forever, and her voice would remain as radiant as it had always been. Some would say that her voice wasn't always perfect. It became perfect only when she actually wanted to sing perfectly. When she vowed to lose herself in the music and allow it to take her away. Shizuko's small white fingers, playing the sad aria, served as her instruments, gentle wipes illuminating the darkness.

"…_de miel martiri, so per pieta."_

However, Shizuko's singing was not as perfect as she wanted it to be. Maybe because she was singing through choked tears.

After Shizuko heard the previous announcement, she felt like a building had just crushed her whole body. All air disappeared from her lungs, and her heart started to dance madly. The pregnant girl walked through the room in complete shock, watching every single piece of furniture with a curious eye. For her, they all belonged to another world. She didn't think about Rena's death. She didn't think about anything.

Until the first tears started to fall. From then on, they stopped every five minutes. Only to come out again shortly after.

Shizuko wondered why she had just sung and played a sad song like _Lascia Chi'o Pianga_. In a moment when she wanted to feel happiness, the girl clung to more laments instead. However, it was still her favorite song, the only one who fit her well. Shizuko had heard it during her entire life, and she would never stop singing it to her dead friend. Rena deserved that honor.

Unlike what is commonly said, the main objective of being a modern teenager is not finding a hot and horny sex partner. At least for the girls, making friends always comes first, while boyfriends are a consequence. Even the ones who do not really care much about friendships suffer from the lack of it, while in The Program. Although friends are an obstacle for the win and can easily turn against each other, they protect and help one another in an extraordinary way. In other words, Shizuko was almost doomed. Going to The Program as a girl, with no friends around and pregnant with a nine-month baby is a guarantee for a dark future.

This is why why the truth was so hard for Shizuko to accept. The real reason behind her taking so long to comprehend that she would never see Rena again. But when she finally did, her hopes of surviving along with both of her friends were engulfed by a whirlwind and vanished in the air. The Program had finally kicked in.

"_Natsumi is the only one left now. I'm gonna have to find her somehow, no matter what. If her name is yelled out loud in the next announcement, then I'll never forgive myself."_ Thought the pregnant girl, in a moment when her tears dried long enough for her to be able to think. Of course, saying it was easier than doing it, even with an Uzi in her hands.

Shizuko had the smartness and also the luck of hiding in the best place Saitama could offer. She had everything to survive there. The house was moderately resistant against gunshots, had plenty of food and medicine, and its drawers contained so many knifes that some of their brands were completely unknown to the girl. The Uzi was a great weapon, but guns have an ammunition limit and its users are especially vulnerable if their enemies manage to get close. A heavy golf club was lying on the sofa, next to the Uzi. It would be used in case of extreme necessity.

But all of these qualities were only worth something if Shizuko decided to stay there. If she left the manor alone, statistics would turn against her. It's hard to see potential killers at night, and the pregnant girl had heard enough names in the first two announcements to know that some people were actually playing. They wouldn't stop until every single other girl in class was dead, making Shizuko doubt that she would be spared for being pregnant.

"_Natsumi is smart, she knows how to fight. She can take care of herself."_ Those thoughts had no ulterior motive at all. Shizuko knew that her friend was aggressive when she wanted to, but was terrible in a fight with fists. Giving her a firearm would be no better. Besides, the pigtailed girl's chances of finding the manor in the next few hours were minimal at best. Such a good place would certainly attract people, but not necessarily the ones Shizuko wanted to find.

"_Yeah, but I'm too stupid to defend myself in case of an attack. A boy already tricked me once, why cannot a girl do the same?"_

Shizuko would never forget the day when she met Satoru, the boy who turned out not to be the man of her dreams but made her dream of him every single night. But that story was much more complex and longer than it seemed.

The pregnant girl finally left the piano and moved slowly towards the couch. Her body was walking slowly through the large living room, but her mind was in another planet named Memories. Sitting on the brown sofa with a relaxed moan, Shizuko filled herself with memories of how her life had once been.

Shizuko never really knew the reason why her parents were so violent towards each other. When she started to gain consciousness, at the young age of four, Mr. and Mrs. Honda already viewed each other as enemies occupying the same home. They argued and fought not only frequently, but also for very silly reasons, because she forgot to turn off the oven after cooking, or because he arrived from work later than usual. Worse: while they were fighting, they did not notice that little Shizuko was there.

As the years went by and the then-not-so-pregnant girl started going to school, the negligence she felt at home started to reflect itself in her personality. Shizuko did not have any hope of appreciating another girl's company, much less of finding a friend. How could she? If even her parents did not look at her in the face, how could she expect her peers to do so? How could she feel something close to love and affection towards someone else, if she had never received it in the first place?

And as such, Shizuko became a wallflower during lower school and most of middle school. She had always been a pretty girl, and after deciding to open up a little bit, she could easily become one of the most popular girls in class. But Shizuko didn't do it; she was afraid of changing, of leaving the lifestyle she knew to move to a new one. Even if her old lifestyle was nothing but school, homework, listening to music and hearing her parents argue on the other side of the bedroom door.

Despite it all, Shizuko foolishly believed that her parents would notice her one day. She didn't ask for much, only for them to give her some attention. The wish was never granted, but all of the other things she needed came into her life all of a sudden, three years before The Program.

Mr. Sakai, the class's longtime chorus teacher, was a great observer. Not only of musical talent, but also of how his students felt emotionally. And as such, he quickly noticed how lonely Shizuko was. Her voice in class was beautiful and bright, but there was always something holding it back. A hidden mass of fears, insecurities and lack of confidence, feelings that Shizuko never talked about to anyone.

The old teacher changed all of this. When there was time after classes, he came to Shizuko and actually _talked to her._ He asked the girl about how she was feeling, gave her advices on how to get over her insecurities and make friends, and slowly made Shizuko get out of her shell. Shizuko owed so much to him; if it wasn't for Mr. Sakai, she would probably still be a shy nobody walking unnoticed through the halls of Tsuchihara.

At least she wouldn't have gotten herself pregnant.

Allowing her mind to slowly come back to reality, Shizuko clumsily moved her body in the sofa, curling to a fetal position while staring at the empty fireplace in front of her. The sadness over Rena's death was slowly fading to the background. Not that Shizuko did not care about her anymore, she only decided to stop crying and face the harsh reality around her. However, her tiredness was stronger. Shizuko's body did not respond to her much anymore, it was begging for some sleep and rest. The girl buried her head on the pillow in extreme drowsiness, her long black hair gently floating through the couch like an exotic octopus.

"_I'm alone now. All alone." _Shizuko couldn't lie to herself. The overwhelming sadness in her face turned into a mask of misery. Misery was all around her, resting in the womb where her unborn baby slept, playing with her hair like her own mother should have done, and gently pressing the tips of its fingers on the girl's forehead. Misery was the grim reaper, waiting for Shizuko to die so that he could take her away. Shizuko was inside the resistant and rich stronghold that was the Kagurazaka manor; still, she felt like the most unprotected and fragile being in the world, and also the poorest one.

Shizuko's beautiful brown eyes faded into a necessary slumber, while her fair skinned hand gently massaged her belly, watching over the new life that would soon grown out of her body. For a moment, Shizuko remembered that she wasn't alone. Her baby was still there, watching over her.

Then she remembered him again.

In those remote years when she was not pregnant, Shizuko quickly morphed from a wallflower to a full-grown and confident woman. She started to listen more, to talk more, and soon gained attention where she went. Shizuko always smiled for the boys who waved at her on the streets, and secretly laughed in joy every time she saw a girl jealously staring at her in the hallways. Finally, the tables were reversed.

Rena and Natsumi came into her life shortly after. Shizuko was the one who made all of the first moves, and yet she did not view it as something scary or that would threaten her. Her old shyness slowly slid to the bottom of a dark abyss, giving birth to a new sense of healthy pride and serene beauty. Rena was the one who became her friend first, attracted by the curious fact of how such a beautiful girl could also be so nice. Natsumi, the one who made her friends laugh so many times, showed some resistance to their friendship, but later transformed Shizuko's time at school into a whirlwind of joy. With two great friends like them, Shizuko did not care about her parents anymore. They could keep fighting forever, but now their daughter had a life of her own. Shizuko knew that hoping for them to get better was futile and useless, and decided to stop crying over their angry rants at home. She was right about them, though. They never changed.

When things seemed like they could not get any better, a lucky occasion came, completely out of the blue. It was a day at the karaoke, where the pregnant girl and her two loyal friends spent their weekends singing their lungs out in a delightful haze. It was located at the school's neighborhood, so that all of them had enough time to go there after a short walk. Actually, Shizuko was the only one who really sang, while the others only did backups most of the time. The male onlookers did not seem to care, though, as they kept walking closer to the singing chambers to watch them. Some of them looked at Rena or Natsumi for quite a long time, but most of the attention was centered on, well, Shizuko.

It was there where the pregnant girl met the most important man of her life. He came on a day when the three friends were singing "Zankoku na Tenshi no Thesis" (A Cruel Angel Thesis), from the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion. Ironically, it was the same song the girls were rehearsing for their annual school chorus concert. Shizuko saw those singing sessions as a training more than anything else, but it wasn't the time of thinking about anything but fun. It was a beautiful day, sunny and rainy at the same time. Shizuko could still remember the rainbow, shining happily in the sky. A good omen.

As soon as Shizuko saw Satoru, watching her with a proud but kind smile, she knew that her heart had found a place to take shelter. Satoru was handsome and jovial. He did not look like a model or a TV star, but rather as an average guy who knew how to get girls and also how to dress himself for the kill. There was something about him that made the boy look like a man, a man who would give Shizuko much more happiness than any other guy in the world could.

Soon after she finished singing, he complimented her appearance and talent when she got close to him. It was so obvious that it would happen: he showed maturity and sensibility in a way that was hard to find in a guy. Although men have the "obligation" of always making the first moves in a relationship, Shizuko knew that she would have talked to him and asked him out, if he did not do it before. The couple went to a fancy restaurant next to the singing area and kept chatting and laughing for several hours. It was the happiest day of Shizuko's life.

It wouldn't have been that perfect if she had seen Rena and Natsumi's faces after she met Satoru. The same look of jealously, anger and sadness, imprinted on their faces like a permanent mask.

From then on, everything happened extremely fast. First kiss and first promise of eternal love? A week later, and after that Shizuko couldn't stop talking about him at school. First hang out only by themselves? Two days after that, when Shizuko received more gifts from him in one day than she received from her own parents during her entire life. First love woodcuts? A week later, a beautiful S&S carved on a cherry tree. First sex? A month after that, at her own house, when both of her parents were not at home. She hesitated at first, but eventually gave in due to Satoru's subtle lust and insistent pressure. The act on itself was more painful than pleasurable, but Shizuko felt happy for being with him in a more "intimate" way. They did not wear condoms as, according to Satoru, "he didn't have the time to buy one." Shizuko did not complain, for fear of arguing with him. She did not want to become like her mother.

Discovery of the pregnancy? A month later, after the disastrous decision of doing a pregnancy test. Collapse on their relationship? A few hours later, when she decided to call and tell him about it. Destruction of her life? Instantaneous and fast. Shame? Prolonged and severe.

Satoru's reaction after knowing of his girlfriend's pregnancy by cell phone was very simple. He said "What a shame. I told you to take the pill.", and then hung up. Shizuko called him again. No answer. After calling several times, while anger consumed her pregnant body, Shizuko realized that her "boyfriend" had just deleted her number from his cell phone. It got worse. Only two days after that, he declared himself as single in his online profile page, not before deleting Shizuko as one of his friends. And what did he do soon afterwards? He found himself another girlfriend from his own school, and was probably fucking her while Shizuko was about to die in The Program. The pregnant girl wanted to break her own computer, when she saw the picture of the two passionately kissing.

Shizuko wanted to die. She wanted to die before anyone else knew of her shame. After that incident, the girl never looked at men the same way. They kept checking her out, waving at her, and saying the same cheesy pick-up lines. But Shizuko just ignored them and kept walking away, disappearing into the infinite distance with her head held low and tears flowing down her face.

The memories of that traumatic day suddenly ended the girl's daydream. She opened her brown eyes and angrily got up from the sofa. She found it impossible to forgive Satoru for what he did to her. He was coward and arrogant, it was all his fault. Panting heavily while sighing at the empty fireplace, Shizuko allowed all of the hatred she felt against anyone who had an XY chromosome to dominate her brain.

"_Those assholes say that they love us, that we are the reason for them to live and they could do anything to make us happy. Bullshit. Boys don't want anything except for some nice breasts and a pretty-but-dumb face. They use you until tiredness takes over, and then they just replace you by a girl they think are prettier. Girls are just food, pieces of meat that can be eaten and then tossed in the garbage!"_

If Shizuko somehow managed to win The Program, she would track that bastard down with her assigned Uzi and riddle his body with bullets. She would never forget him. What he did was unfair and she did not deserve ANY of it. If he had decided to help her after being told of her pregnancy, who knows they would still be together and her previous year of life wouldn't have been such a living hell.

Shizuko inhaled a deep breath and then released it, letting the air escape from her lungs in a forcefully calm breeze. It wasn't time to think about that. Deep inside, the girl still wished to her previous boyfriend the best future he could achieve. Although it had an unhappy ending, Satoru had been the one responsible for the best fairy tale of Shizuko's life. Besides, he couldn't hurt her anymore. Shizuko was now in The Program, isolated from the world. Rena was dead, but she still had Natsumi. Natsumi was the one she needed to protect and worry about. Not someone like him.

Half-walking, half-stumbling, Shizuko went to the large rectangular window and hid herself behind the red curtain. It was time to watch over the garden again. She had been doing this on every ten minutes, as an attacker could quickly invade the manor and overpower the pregnant girl, if she managed to be unnoticed. In a big group, Shizuko wouldn't have to worry so much, but alone the way she was, taking the right precautions was extremely important. It was nightime now, making it harder to aim and see. Another reason for keeping constant watch.

After Shizuko Honda pointed the Uzi at the garden for five minutes, Kumiko Noma finally arrived.

The murderous girl invaded the grassy field gracefully, more like a talented belly-dancer than a teenager holding a gun. She incautiously stepped on the grass, crushing a red rose with her sneaker. Even though she was trying to get into one of the best places in the district, Kumiko clearly wasn't thinking about the possibility of inhabitants. She was as calm and reserved as she had always been in class, completely proud of herself and behaving like Marie Antoinette visiting the peasants in her chariot.

"_Is she a friend or a foe?"_ Thought Shizuko, starting to panic.

The vision of Kumiko's weapons brought a large wave of heat upon Shizuko's face and stomach. The girl in the garden was holding two pistols, one tucked in her skirt, the other on her right hand. Shizuko wasn't dumb. She instantly realized that, for Kumiko to have more than one weapon, it meant that she was playing and had already killed someone.

"_With so many names in the last few announcements, probably…"_ thought Shizuko, opening her eyes wide. What if Kumiko was the one who killed Rena, and was now after her friends? There was no time to lose. Shizuko had the distance and the best weapon. One quick blast of gunfire, and then Kumiko would be on the floor.

Shizuko wasn't ready to kill someone, though.

"_Aim for the legs. She won't die, but at least she will be down and completely defenseless." _Trying to control her trembling arms and legs, Shizuko carefully looked at Kumiko's moving figure and pointed the barrel of the Uzi directly at the girl's legs. Strangely, the pregnant girl felt like she was doing the right thing. Now she was controlling her own life, instead of being the helpless victim she had been with Satoru. Confidence filled her spirit.

"_Alright. You can do it girl."_ Focusing her hands and aiming for a moment, Shizuko pulled the trigger and a rain of 9mm bullets flew towards Kumiko.

* * *

><p>Kumiko Noma saw Shizuko's Uzi at the window three seconds before it fired. However, those seconds felt like years for her. Maybe because she suddenly saw her useless life flashing before her eyes?<p>

Kumiko's body moved completely on its own, guided by pure adrenaline. The girl jumped to the left in a quick dash, forming the angle of a giant bow with her soaring arms and legs. She heard the noise of the bullets an instant after she jumped, and it sounded like a thunderstorm happening right next to where she was standing. The bullets shot through the air at an incredible speed, but miraculously all of them avoided Kumiko. With the small part of her brain that wasn't worried about survival, Kumiko faced the possibility that the Uzi might have been slightly off-aim when it fired.

Kumiko landed on top of the roses, beautiful flowers whose red color mixed itself with Kumiko's blood. Their sharp thorns made five slashes on Kumiko's left arm, causing a small grunt of pain to come out of her mouth. The girl's face landed on the grass, tarnishing her beauty with the dirt of the earth. Her head was spinning wildly, and it took the class beauty a few moments to see the inevitable truth.

She had failed.

Failure and death were not in her options book. Kumiko had been born to rise above of her stupid classmates and have power over them. It wasn't something someone told her to believe in; Kumiko thought that way since the day when she was born. Her mother always tried to convince her otherwise, telling her that she should be a good a girl and stop torturing animals, to no avail.

Her mother. The person who ruined her own daughter's life, before it could even start.

Erasing the bad memories from her mind, Kumiko stumbled until she got up, facing the unseen Shizuko like a wounded lion. No matter how much she didn't want it, she had been defeated. Of course she would be the winner, but the girl was smart enough to know that she had no chances against the Uzi, now pointed straight at her head. She didn't know who was firing it through the window, but of course it wasn't someone who wanted her to leave that place alive.

Surrendering, Kumiko put both of her hands above her head and started running towards the opposite direction. The machine gun did not fire again, but it did not matter. A few moments later, Kumiko crossed the garden, ran past the iron gate and left the manor, while thinking of a new place to hide in.

* * *

><p>Shizuko smiled, staring at the smoke coming out of her Uzi. It had been easier than she thought. The gun roared in her hands and sent the girl a few steps back, but otherwise Shizuko fired it well. She also fulfilled both of her objectives; Kumiko was still alive but wasn't going to attack her. There was some guilt in not putting the dangerous girl down when she had the chance, not even crippling her. But everything that Shizuko wanted was to celebrate her victory. <em>"And if I did that, I wouldn't be much different from her,would I?" <em>Shizuko used to believe that firearms were weapons for the cowards. With them, you could kill someone while being far from them, not having to worry about being knocked-out or engaging in a close-range fight. Shizuko still thought that way, but had to admit that,moral issues aside, having an Uzi as her assigned weapon did no harm at all.

The pregnant girl wondered if her chances of living long enough to see her baby being born had increased, at least a little. Maybe she would be able to find Natsumi, before all of their collars exploded by the end of the third day and killed them all. After making a dangerous killer go away, Shizuko could only feel hopeful. Maybe she could-

The pain inside of her belly started.

Shizuko was taken aback by the pain, which exploded inside of her womb with a violent kicking. Her body trembled in the air and started to fall, while the girl choked and gasped to breathe again. Air seemed to escape her lungs, and she suddenly found herself lying on the living room floor, still feeling the pain of childbirth in her fragile body.

The baby had kicked. The beginning of the first contraction.

* * *

><p>AUTHOR'S NOTES<p>

This chapter is destined to all the Shizuko Honda fans out there. She was absent from the story for a very long time, and so I decided to make an entire chapter focused on her. I'm growing fonder of her as I write her story. She might come off as a bit unlikeable in her "crazy rant towards men" thing, but keep in mind that she was betrayed, abandoned and ignored, to the point of losing all of her trust in boys. I also tried to insert a bit of irony in this chapter, as Shizuko wants to find Natsumi but does not know that she's just as dead as Rena.

I promise I'll reveal the translated lyrics of Shizuko's favorite song in a future chapter. I'm not doing it now for storyline purposes.

The reviews have recently been growing more and more constructive and intelligent. Terryl, Percival and CuddlyChristinna, thank you all for everything. Without you guys this fanfic wouldn't have reached this point! You are all great!


	18. Sweet Lies

**Chapter 18**

Sachiko Kirihara hated to be watched.

Not always. When the best student in class actually knew that someone wanted to look at her, or when it was the case of a theatrical performance, being observed felt like heaven. For Sachiko, there was nothing more enjoyable and pleasurable than to stand in a neon-illuminated stage and become someone else, garlanded in exquisite costumes. The girl saw her undeniably good performances in acting class as an escape from the hardships of the world, a safe activity where no one judged her for what she looked like or her ideals.

But when someone was watching without her permission, the rules changed - fast.

Sachiko was a mentally healthy girl, and certainly not paranoid or delusional. However, being stalked or hearing others talking behind her back severely messed with her emotions. In a matter of instants, the once wise and capable class representative could turn into a frightened, fragile chicken, resenting the world around her as if the doors and windows had eyes. Red, piercing eyes, able to read Sachiko's mind and know all of her moves while staying several steps ahead of her.

It was exactly what happened with him. Sachiko did not remember his name anymore. Sometimes, she still remembered how his voice was like, or how much unshaved facial hair he had. Sachiko erased those memories soon after they took hold; it wasn't necessary to remember him. She did not want to.

However, what happened on those nightmarish weeks of their brief relationship would never be forgotten. He was two years older than Sachiko, a junior from another school who briefly participated in the "Hamlet" high school play. He did not even have a role; he was hired because of his ability to work on stage crafts. It was important to contract boys from other schools during the plays, as the all-female cast from Tsuchihara did not have the necessary strength to perform several tasks.

Sachiko approached him on a certain day, more out of boredom than anything else. Surprisingly, he proved himself to be more interesting than she thought, and relatively smart for a guy who looked like a stereotypical jock. Sachiko decided to make some moves on him, because after all glasses do not make a person shy. They hit it off completely and started dating. It was nothing serious, though; just a couple of kisses, some holding of hands and hangouts on Saturday nights. Sachiko wanted him because she wanted a boyfriend, and not because she had felt anything special for him.

Much like what fatefully happens with relationships like this, they broke up shortly afterwards. The reasons were many: he was annoying, he pressured her, he was boring, didn't have good conversations, and was a jerk most of the times. Even though he never properly said it, Sachiko knew that, for him, she was no different.

Why didn't he accept it, then?

At first, everything seemed better after he vanished from his ex-girlfriend's life. Sachiko quickly got used to being single again, avoided talking about him much, and saw her own life as complete even without a boyfriend. Until one day, a week later, when he started showing up at Tsuchihara's main gate. At first, he only watched Sachiko in the background and did not do anything. He was there to be a shadow, trying to elicit some reconciliation from the girl by making her unable to ignore him. Sachiko, though, not even looked at him in the face. Whatever happened happened, what was done was done.

As the days went by, he started to show up at her school more often, and to constantly ask her to go back to him. Sachiko looked at him in the eyes and politely refused, as her independent and responsible spirit refused itself to be forced to do something. He begged, yelled at her, and even cried once. But Sachiko remained inflexible. She had no idea of the lengths he would go to get her back.

Soon, the model student's cell phone was invaded by text messages coming from him. They all asked her to come back, some more threateningly than others. Sachiko never told about them to anyone, not even her friends. It was too dangerous to get them involved in her turbulent love life, and the easy option to delete messages became a routine for her. After coming back from school, Sachiko opened her phone, checked the new messages from him and instantly deleted them after reading.

Until he started calling her a whore by cell phone, and death threatened her if she kept refusing to go back to him.

Horrified, Sachiko slowly began to fear the moment when she saw him after school. He became a spectrum of disgrace, bringing rain and thunder on an otherwise sunny, quiet day. His stalker behavior quickly got worse, and he started to follow his ex on the streets. She tried not to look back at him, but always surrendered and did. His face, one of mad anger, frustration and jealousy, haunted Sachiko's worst nightmares and would always continue to.

The peak came on a Sunday when Sachiko went to a non-alcoholic bar and saw a good childhood friend of hers sitting there. She did not see him since fifth grade, and was actually surprised about how handsome he turned out to be. The two friends sat by a table and started chatting for several minutes. For a while, Sachiko forgot that her ex was coming after her. It always happened, but she still foolishly believed that he wouldn't do it on that day. She was wrong.

Sachiko's ex was on her friend instantly, punching someone he did not even know like a typical high school bully. The other boy tried to react, but it was like a sheep fighting a bull. All the sports her ex did at school made him an immensely strong boy, and he showed it. Soon, Sachiko's friend face was as red as a tomato, making the girl realize that she had dated a monster for three weeks and did not know it. Weakly trying to stop him, Sachiko jumped on her former boyfriend's back and scratched his face with her nails.

However, he was obviously stronger, and effortlessly threw her on the floor. As the girl cried in pain, he started to brutally pull her long hair and to slap her in the face, saying that she was a worthless piece of shit, an ungrateful slut, and that she deserved to die. Sachiko's eyes watered as her face bruised instantly. Luckily for her, the barman called the police soon after the fight started, and the cops came after Sachiko had endured a few minutes of abuse. They arrested that horrible man, and Sachiko went home on that day crying and massaging her wounded face. Her soul was muddled forever, though: after that incident, the girl never felt safe while alone on the streets, or trusted the guys in the play's audience who complimented her performances.

In The Program, Sachiko was lying on her bedroom's right-sided bed, her legs stretched like a ballerina's and her glasses slightly crooked in her face. She was reading a book, but only superficially; her mind was still on him, filled with remorse for not telling her friends of the abuse when she had the chance. For not calling the police before and allowing it all to happen.

"_He's probably watching me right now. Laughing of my actions here with all the bandits he met in jail, making rude jokes about me and my friends, betting on when and how I'm going to die. They are all watching me through that camera on the wall."_

For Sachiko, the cameras everywhere looked like open doors to hell. The world was watching them, cheering for their demise and lustfully observing their bodies. The fact of that year's class being composed only by girls only made things worse. There was a camera in the bathroom, near the shower. All around Japan, men of all ages saw her naked and then jerk-…

It was better not to think about it.

The book Sachiko found herself reading was William Golding's _The Lord of the Flies_. Being the only book in the shelf, the controversial and violent masterpiece was the only choice Sachiko had. Was its presence there only a coincidence? Of course not.

"_They want us to read this. They want to get us influenced by it, in order to make us kill each other faster. And this is going to happen, sooner or later."_ Sachiko had read that book enough times to know what it was about. A group of young boys find themselves alone in an island, and their distance from civilization slowly turns them into savages and monsters, mercilessly murdering each other while no longing being different from the animals around them. It was a perfect book, though extremely depressing. _"This is exactly what is going to happen to us."_ As she remembered scenes from the book, a strange heat filled Sachiko's head and her heart started beating faster.

But something would be different than the book. At the end of the story, the boys were rescued by a ship. The same wouldn't happen to the girls. Only one would live.

Sachiko had long ago stopped to believe in things such as unconditional love and infinite trust, and her relationship with that bandit only reinforced her opinions. However, she wasn't yet prepared to have her views tested. Suddenly losing her trust in her own friends wasn't something Sachiko thought about, and killing anyone was a barbarity in the girl's eyes. The girls who shared the apartment were all good people, and none of them would join the game so fast.

"_Let's see, Rin is a good leader, she's probably thinking of something by now. She's also great on everything she does, so we'll have no problem as long as she protects us. Hitomi and Hana are a bit too dumb and vain- but heck, they are still my friends! And Kagura… Kagura is a bit unstable, but she's a really sweet girl. I also don't think that she would really hurt someone, she might even try but her conscience will pull her back. Or so I hope."_

Sachiko slowly released the book from her hands and rose up her back. The book sunk softly into the mattress, sounding like a rock being thrown in the water. While Sachiko moved her body, her arms, legs and back snapped so much that they seemed to be breaking. The long time Sachiko spent on the same position was taking its toll on her.

Before she could leave the bed completely, Sachiko heard strange sounds coming from the locked bathroom door. Kagura's time in the shower had long ago stopped, and now Sachiko could hear her angry, disjointed mumbling more clearly.

"Kagura, what's wrong? Did something happen?"

No reply. The door remained closed and rigid. Kagura's mumbling got even louder, and now Sachiko could hear some of it. Worry filling her chest, the girl with glasses positioned her ear on the wooden surface of the door, in order to hear more.

"Die… they'll…I… die…" Sachiko could feel the anger, the hatred Kagura felt while saying that. There was something wrong with her friend, it was now completely certain. Kagura was supposed to already be out of the bathroom. Was she going insane?

"_No. I can't let this happen."_ Raising her delicate right hand upwards, Sachiko knocked it several times against the door, yelling loudly, hoping for her friend to listen:

"Kagura,open this door! Open it, please! I just wanna talk!"

The hateful words being uttered on the other side of the door stopped. For a few seconds, there was only silence. But Sachiko did not feel any relief. What if she made Kagura even angrier, and was about to get attacked by her? Sachiko did not know what Kagura's weapon was, but at least her own was excellent. A bulletproof vest, which the girl with glasses wore under her uniform shirt.

Kagura wasn't afraid of her friend. She suddenly turned the lock and opened the door in front of Sachiko.

Kagura had never been an attractive girl, but at that moment she could not be worse. Her cheeks were red with crying, and the acne that covered her face made things even worse. Her hair was disheveled and would form beautiful curves, if they were not so disproportional and messy. Kagura had been sweating a lot and seemed to be very frightened. Also, Sachiko knew her friend enough to decipher the girl's facial expressions. Right now, everything she saw In Kagura was pure guilt, surprise, and fear. The beginning of insanity.

"Kagura! Come here on the bed, please!" Beginning to panic, Sachiko wrapped her arms around her friend and started to drag her towards the bed. Kagura was dressed only in a red towel, up to her overweight shoulders. She had been crying and talking to herself in the bathroom stall for several minutes, and Sachiko was stupid enough not to notice it.

It was time to help her.

After being hugged by Sachiko, Kagura became as quiet as a frozen doll. Losing her hysteria, she carefully obeyed her friend and lied down, allowing Sachiko to see the ugly birthmark she had on her legs. Sachiko, on the other hand, decided that it was time to talk. If she decided to remain in silence, Kagura could only get worse overtime. However, she wanted to sound friendly and not like a teacher or a parental figure. Although Sachiko was a great student, she disliked many of her teachers.

"Kagura, talk to me. We've had this conversation before, but t did not work. What's bothering you?" Kagura took a long time to reply, but when she did, her voice was hoarse and low.

"Nothing…"

"Don't say that!" Yelled Sachiko to her friend. She might have sounded rude, but the truth needed to be known. "I heard you talking to yourself in the bathroom. Don't lie to me, Kagura. I know that it's something."

After hearing Sachiko's honest words, Kagura was overwhelmed by sadness. She started crying again, blurring her vision with her own tears. Even though she was already fourteen, Kagura could be easily mistaken by a baby crying for his mom.

"I feel like… I feel like I'm drowning. I'm going to die soon, and you will to. We can't do anything about it… anything… We're all going to sink beneath the waves, very soon." Touched by the girl's words, Sachiko started crying as well. She agreed on everything Kagura said. Their newfound stability in that apartment wasn't permanent. Sooner or later, they would realize that hunting was better than building, begin to fear The Beast, and finally turn against each other. The fact that they were girls and best friends would not change anything.

"Is that everything? This is why you are so scared?" Sachiko wasn't entirely convinced. She saw the anger in Kagura's eyes and voice, something of a murderous rage. There was more to it, and she had to know it.

"…Yes." Answered Kagura. Despite her distrust, Sachiko still considered Kagura a friend, and did not believe that she would lie to her. Kagura had studied together with Sachiko several times, was always her talking pal in the cafeteria, and went to the movies with her very often. She was someone to trust.

"Kagura, I think that what you really need is some rest. It's already 8 pm, and Hitomi is guarding us now. You haven't slept so far, it's much better to do it. What do you think?"

"I don't need to. I'm not sleepy, I'm fine." Before Sachiko could say something, Kagura got up and went towards her closet. The apartment they were in had some female clothes for them, probably from the previous owners of the place. Kagura opened the closet with nervous hands, bending down and grabbing what she was going to wear for the night: a pink nightgown, with a Hello Kitty stamp on it. It was slightly smaller than her size, but it would fit.

"I'm gonna have some fresh air on the living room. I just want some time for myself. Don't follow me." As she said those words, Kagura undressed quickly, although Sachiko looked at the wall so as not to see her naked. Kagura was overweight and dumpy in appearance, so even if there were boys in the place, they wouldn't exactly like what they saw.

However, Sachiko still had questions to answer. What was Kagura thinking? What was wrong with her? And most of all, how would they survive?

After Kagura left the room, Sachiko looked at The Lord of The Flies, still lying on the wet bed.

Without hesitating, Sachiko grabbed the book and threw it on the wall.

* * *

><p>Wake up. Breakfast. School. Voleyball. Ballet. Shooting target. Home. Hear Dad's complains. Sleep. On weekends, hang out.<p>

This was Rin Tosaba's routine.

Living room. Fridge. Glass of water. Juice. Drinking it.

Fast and mechanical, just like her life was.

The girl was extremely tired. After guarding the window with her shotgun for five hours , stopping only to go to the bathroom or to eat something quickly, she felt more than willing to let her friend Hitomi Nara take her place. The vain girl had the second best weapon in that apartment, a Colt.45 pistol. That was, if Sachiko Kirihara's and Kagura Soga's weapons were not taken into consideration. Rin had no idea whatsoever of what their weapons were, but was sure that Hana Nozaki, the other girl she shared her bedroom with, had a useless plastic bag as her weapon.

"Rin, could you help me here?" Hitomi's baby-like voice dominated the room. "I don't know how to hold this… this thing."

Rin shrugged silently. If there was someone who would never be able to fire a weapon properly, this person was Hitomi. Not that the girl was stupid, even though Rin had to admit that she wasn't one of the smart kids in class. But Hitomi, much like Hana, was extremely fragile and whiny. She was the type of girl who screams after seeing a cockroach and refuses to go to a party after breaking a nail. Not many people out there were betting on her for The Program's winner.

"_Well, I'm probably somebody they believe is going for the win."_ Rin slightly reprimanded herself for being arrogant, but only slightly. The girl was sure that she had strong chances of winning. She had good reflexes and physical strength, due to the ballet lessons and volleyball practices she went to. Her father's constant pressure for perfect grades also made her very smart, able to make decisions quickly and to see other's true intentions behind their faces. Not to mention the boring shooting classes she had to take, which at least got her more experience with heavy firearms, like the shotgun she carried in her arms.

Most parents would view Rin's father as a lunatic, for overburdening his daughter's routine so much. Rin would partially agree with them, but also understand her own situation. She was required to do sports at school: volleyball did the job well. When she was younger, she wanted to be a ballerina, something that her father took very seriously and placed her in ballet classes with the loads of money he had. They were long and excruciating, but Rin danced anyway for fear of his reaction. And finally, it came to the shooting. Although it was a somewhat exaggerated belief, Shigehiko feared that his daughter would one day be selected for The Program. For him, training with firearms would help her to survive. He only sent Rin to an All-Girls school because one-sex schools were never selected for The Program.

It didn't stop Rin from being chosen to kill all of her classmates. And unless she won, she would never become a ballerina or a good volleyball player. How would he feel, if only he knew that all of his efforts were futile?

"I'm coming Hitomi." Rin tried to forget about her father. He wasn't there to protect her, and it wasn't the time to pretend that he was. Making a rigid pose and trying to sound as cool and smart as possible, Rin came to Hitomi and gently took the gun from her hands.

The weapon felt heavy and cold, exposing the destructive power hidden within it. That pistol was excellent, and the girl knew enough about firearms to be sure that, even though it was no match for her own shotgun, it would do the guarding job quite well. However, its user would need some skill to aim and control the bullets, and Hitomi did not have it. Hell, she did not even know how to hold the gun.

"Alright, Hitomi. It's like this." Holding the gun in front of her friend's face, Rin clutched the heavy weapon and held it properly: one hand on the trigger, the other one on the bottom of the pistol. For someone with no experience like Hitomi, it was better to fire it with both hands.

"Do you get it now?" Rin asked, and Hitomi shook her head affirmatively. "Now do it."

Hitomi grabbed her gun back and held it the way it should be. She did it so quickly that Rin started to wonder if her friend really did not know it or if she was just pretending. It could have been the case; maybe Hitomi wanted to tell her something and used it as an excuse. Rin's sharp thinking and her overall knowledge of the vain girl told her that Hitomi was capable of doing everything to get attention.

"You know, I think you should be on watch for less time than me. I mean, one more hour, and then I come back." If someone attacked while Hitomi was at the window, she would probably get shot in the forehead before shooting the other girl back.

"Really…" Hitomi said, her tanned face infantilizing itself quickly. "So you do not trust me?"

"Of course I do, Hitomi." Rin smiled as naturally as a spider smiles to a fly. "I just want you to survive and not get into trouble. You don't have to worry about it, trust me."

"Alright." Hitomi smiled back, giggling and blushing slightly. She seemed to be renewed by joy, cheerfully pointing the gun outside. Rin, though, walked away from her and sat on the living room couch, reflecting.

She had lied to one of her friends for the first time. She did not trust Hitomi. Nor Hana. Nor any of them.

Rin had such a large friendship circle at school that made her weekends just as busy as her school days. She was always with them or her boyfriend Koichi, hanging out, going to concerts or just gossiping loudly in the park. And yet, she saw past their giggling faces, and could see more interest than genuine kindness there. Rin had to be smart to survive through high school, she had always been told so by her father. She had learned it the hard way a few months before The Program.

"Hey, Rin!" A soft and melodic voice yelled at the girl, getting closer quickly. Rin turned her head.

Kagura stood in the hallway, looking just as unattractive as always. She seemed scared and tiny, even though she was overweight. Her face was red from acne and tears, and she looked like someone who does not take a shower regularly. Her pink nightgown also made her seem childish and ridiculous. Still, Rin enjoyed Kagura's company and presence, and viewed her as some of the few people in class she could trust. The girl's voice was magnificent, often causing Rin to blush in a midst of amazement and even some envy. Besides, her sweet and tender personality never seemed forced or fake. Even though Rin did not talk to her that much, having Kagura around made her happy.

And right now, Rin was certain that Kagura had something very important to say. Something bad.

"Rin… come with me." Without asking for permission, Kagura grabbed Rin's left arm strongly and pulled her out of the couch. Rin would normally protest, but all words disappeared from her throat soon after she looked at Kagura. The unattractive girl's eyes were a mask of worry and fear. Was she being bullied by Hana or Sachiko?

"I have something very important to tell you." It was clear that Kagura did not want to be heard. She was whispering instead of talking.

Paralyzed by surprise and her own fertile imagination, Rin was dragged by the arm from the living room to the kitchen, after passing through an open Japanese door. In any other moment, that kitchen would look clean and lovely. After Kagura closed the door shut, it was terrifying. The room was dark and poorly furnitured, and the shadows from the window made it a very eerie place. _"If she decides to kill me here, it will be a while until someone finds my body."_ ,Thought the rich girl as her blood turned into ice.

"Alright. We're safe now." Continued Kagura, with the same look on her face.

Rin got enough of it. If Kagura wanted to say something, she would have to say it quickly. The way she talked was extremely suspicious, as if she wanted to give Rin some suspense.

"If you want to tell me something…" Said Rin, determined and slightly angry. "Do it right now. I don't have the time to listen to something useless."

"I think Hitomi and Hana are plotting against you." As soon as Kagura was finished, red flames consumed Rin's body and mind. She already knew that it would be bad, but not something that bad. If Kagura was right, the threat was coming from the inside. From the ones she called her friends.

"How do you know?" Suddenly, Rin became just as frightened as Kagura. She wanted to push the uglier girl and accuse her of lying, but she had to listen to the complete story first.

"Earlier today, while you were with your weapon over there, I heard some mumbling coming from your bedroom. I wanted to know what it was, so I heard everything from the door." Kagura's face darkened and she started losing her balance. "God, I shouldn't have done that!"

"And what did they say? What?"

"They said that they hated you." Kagura's gaze burned through her friend's soul. "They say that, as soon as they found you unprotected, without your weapon and alone, they would team up and shoot you down. And them…" Kagura began to bawl. "They will do the same to me… and Sachiko."

The possibility of Kagura to be lying vanished from Rin's quick thinking. She was way too convincing, and probably saying the truth. The ones she could not trust, the ones who were lying to her, the ones who wanted her_ dead_… they were those two.

Rin never really trusted them. The rich girl knew that she was popular, but popularity does not bring real friendship. She was certain of it since Miyako, a girl from class B who used to be her best friend , betrayed her by stealing her boyfriend. Not Koichi, the one she had before him. She made some moves on him before, but Rin did not notice it. Miyako was a good friend, and was probably only doing it for fun. Until Rin's boyfriend told her that he did not want her anymore, and all of a sudden, he stopped talking to her. On the next day, Rin saw her boyfriend and Miyako from behind a tree. They were kissing.

Rin was so humiliated that she wanted to kill that bitch. The next day, she slapped Miyako in the school hallway as soon as she saw her. The pain made the other girl confess everything. That she had never been friends with Rin and only wanted her boyfriend, gracefully accompanied by some of the worst foul language Rin had ever heard. It did not stop Rin from calling Miyako a bitch, or slapping her again. On that day, the rich girl went home crying, and her father almost beat her up after she told him what happened. For him, she "allowed herself to be weak and stupid."

And now the same thing was happening again. Two false friends this time. Two bitches. No, it would not be the same as before. Rin would win the fight, and make her father proud. She had the shotgun, the best weapon. She could shoot and kill them easily. And finally, she would w-

No, that wasn't right.

Rin's eyes moved back to Kagura. Even though she was nice and bright, the ugly duckling was one of the most mysterious people Rin had ever know. Kagura rarely showed her feelings, and endured her years of bullying without crying, cold as a rock. She only opened up to Sachiko, and no one else. If she was lying, she wouldn't be able to fake it.

But still, that was wrong. The Program, the killing, the destruction… it wasn't supposed to be like that. Right now, Rin should be at her shooting classes. And as always, her dad would watch her in silence, while her teacher clapped. How were they feeling right now? Maybe her dad was crying for her. Maybe…

"I'll think about it. But I promise you. When I become sure that they want to kill us, I'll kill them. Alright?"

Kagura made a small, crooked smile with her lips. Then she opened the kitchen door and left the small room, her steps echoing in the hall.

Rin remained where she was for a very long time. She was in shock. Before that conversation, girl still had hopes to survive The Program and to trust her friends until the end. All of a sudden, this possibility ceased to exist.

With her hands trembling, Rin slowly dropped the heavy shotgun to the floor and stared at a wall. Her mind was filled with uncertainty. What would she do now? During all of her life, Rin was told by her father and pretty much everyone else that she would always have to know the right answers, to solve her problems quickly, and to be perfect both as a student and as a teenager. In spite of the pressure and her lack of trust in her friends, it all had been extremely easy.

What would her father think?

He would probably be disappointed, as his daughter made a mistake. If she had studied Kagura's facial expressions for a little longer, Rin would have known that her "friend" had lied to her.

* * *

><p>Some tragedies occur spontaneously, out of the blue, all of a sudden.<p>

Others are foretold, slowly walking their cold steps towards the inevitable, shocking conclusion.

Kagura Soga wasn't a fan of tragedies. With a life as messed up as the one she had, watching them on movies, plays or television would only make her more and more depressed. The girl preferred to watch comedies, things that would make her laugh and forget about school. The pleasure of feeling joy, though, was temporary.

Right now, Kagura looked like a banshee of tragedy herself. Not because of her appearance, hideous as always, but she also by her walking and smile, which anticipated death and disgrace. Kagura tried not to smile, so as not to be noticed by the other girls. But something inside of her told the girl to do it. She had repressed, torn apart, and hidden her real emotions for longer than she had expected. It was time to release them all; along with the revenge she had planned for the others.

"_Smile, Kagura. Just keep smiling. Pretend to be nice to them, they like you to be stupid. Act dumb and they won't suspect on you. These whores, with the exception of Sachiko, fucking deserve to leave this place in a body bag. Only one can survive in the end, and this one shall be you."_

Although Kagura would certainly say that she was still sane if asked about it, any psychologist in the world would say otherwise. Since the five girls had reached the apartment, Kagura felt like being stripped bare of her personality by unseen hands. It was impossible to explain it, but what the girl had tried not to be during her entire life had finally caught up with her. She felt like sinking in an old bathtub, having the joyful, shy and fragile wall she created to protect herself being lifted from her body.

No wonder that, like taking a bath, it felt so good.

Kagura could not control her movements anymore. With steps that led to nowhere, the girl kept walking in circles in the middle of the living room. Although she did it for less than ten seconds before being interrupted, this special moment felt like hours for her. For once, she was free from the world, free from her tormentors, alone with no one but herself. Like the peaceful slumber a bear does during the winter only to slash his prey afterwards, when spring comes.

Kagura gave the class bullies reasons to torment since the day she came to school. She was shy, largely unattractive, and most of all, strange. She had been bullied in her previous school as well, so nothing indicated that the situation would not repeat itself. However, she never fought back. Friends were something Kagura never really knew, and therefore she did not feel lonely and isolated. She endured pain and humiliation daily, not even telling her own parents about it. If she did, things would get complicated, and being a calm and serene person, complication was the last thing Kagura wanted.

Puberty came in a rush, and, although it did not improve Kagura's physical condition, it certainly made her social situation a burden to carry. The girl began to want to have friends, so painfully that it soon became a physical necessity. Every night she prayed to the gods to give her friends, every day she looked at socializing tips on the internet. Even though she wasn't the type of person who believes in everything, Kagura needed someone or something to give her good advice, and slowly the many hours she spent on her computer bore fruits in her social life.

Following the "how to make friends" tips she found online, Kagura slowly began to open up a little bit more and to approach Rin's group. She sat next to them in class, talked to them during breaks, and even though a little intermissive, tried to go where they went as much as possible. Sachiko and Rin soon grew fond of her, while Hitomi and Hana took a while to view the ugly girl as a friend. Kagura held back their anger after seeing the girls' indifferent glares. In high school, beauty is all that matters, and two dumb bimbos like them would never understand how girls like Kagura felt.

Everything was well afterwards, to the point of Kagura actually thinking about the possibility of getting a boyfriend in the future. With four friends such as those ones, and one of them being the richest and most popular girl at school, it was a dream that was bound to come true.

Until the day of the annual chorus concert.

Being an otaku by heart, Kagura was exceptionally happy after finding out that the song they would sing would be the opening theme of Evangelion. For the ugly girl, it was the best anime in the world, even though its violence and sexuality were mostly censored by the government. Out of all of its characters, the one Kagura liked the most was Asuka, the pilot of Unit 02. She represented everything Kagura wanted to one day become: pretty, Intelligent, hot-headed, confident and skilled. Being chosen as the main soloist represented an even bigger joy for her. In a class filled with good and beautiful singers like Shizuko Honda, being the main voice was an honor for Kagura. She would be noticed and appreciated by all, and finally receive the place in the world that she wanted to achieve for so long: the top.

There was no specific dress code for the performance, except for the fact that all clothes should be red. Luckily for Kagura, red was the color of Asuka's plug suit, and the girl took the opportunity to cosplay her favorite anime character. Kagura spent the tree months before the final performance collecting material, sewing her cosplay at home and asking her mom to buy the accessories for her. When all of the work was done, the clothing looked undeniably good in Kagura, intelligently molded so as not to seem too tight in her overweight body. Maybe, on the magic day, a boy would say that she was pretty and ask her out on a date. Just maybe…

D-day came fast, and with it Kagura's burst of self esteem. She was the center of attention, looked prettier than many girls with all of the make-up she managed to put on, and smiled to everyone she saw in the hallways. It would have been the best day of her life, if it wasn't for the voices she heard on the other side of the bathroom door while she walked by.

"Did you girls see Kagura Soga today? I know that she's ugly, but today, she is even worse!" Mocked Miki Nakayoshi, the first of the four voices who would torment Kagura forever.

"That cow? Who she thinks she is? She wants to hang out with us every day; she's like, a pest! What do Rin and Sachiko see in her? She's so fucking annoying and stupid; I would love to tell her to just go away!" The voice of one of her so-called friends instantly made Kagura tear up. It was Hana Nozaki.

"You know what she told me today, Hana? She's thinking about getting a boyfriend soon! Is she like, mentally retarded or what? Boys like girls who can be looked at twice, and this is certainly not her case!" Hitomi Nara spoke. Kagura's chest began to burn.

"A boyfriend? Boyfriend my ass. If I were a boy, I would rather lick the floor than kissing her. What is she wearing today, a ticket to the brothel? Or is it one of those retarded anime things that only losers like her watch?" Kageri Shouzaku came into the conversation. Kagura did not hear the rest of it. She was already running away.

They lied. They lied to her, wronged her, made fun of her behind her back. Those girls were all monsters, more worried about make-up and hooking up with handsome men than with just being nice. Their parties and shining beauty were nothing but costumes they put on in order to seem like nice people. But while the ugly ducklings were not there, they gossiped and cursed, bringing pain and sorrow to other people's lives. Just like what they had just done to Kagura.

The ugly girl was crying, ruining her makeup with every tear. She sat in a corner at the school's staircase for several minutes, until a teacher found her there after noticing her absence in class. While she cried and wailed, no one came to help her. No other girl tried to wipe away her tears; no one was worried enough for it. Kagura wasn't important to anyone; she was just a small stain of grease that should be swept away.

"_High school is hell."_

"Kagura..?"

The voice who called for Kagura was one that she absolutely did_ not_ want to hear.

Hana Nozaki stood right in front of her. Forgetting her painful memories for a moment, Kagura stared back at her enemy like a lion who has been surprised while eating the prey. Hana's braided black hair, large brown eyes and overall pretty appearance made Kagura jealous and disgusted at the same time. What was God thinking, when He gave so much beauty to someone as awful as Hana? She did not deserve to look good. For Kagura, Hana should have been born ugly as a cow, in order to learn what being the loser actually felt like.

"What's wrong?"

"I heard you walking around here while going for some chat with Hitomi… Are you OK?"

"It's none of your business."

What Kagura really wanted was to spit on the pretty girl's face, or to shoot her in the forehead if she had been assigned a gun. But humiliating Hana with words only was enough, at short term. Without looking at Hana again, Kagura turned her back towards her enemy and walked back to her bedroom. She was smiling.

The plan was working. Kagura had studied Rin's face and made completely herself sure of it. Soon, Rin would go ballistic on her friends, and after they all shot each other, the game would be on the palm of Kagura's hands. Of course, Sachiko wasn't going to die with the others, but if she did, it would be a necessary evil. _"She might like me for sure, but she probably knows that they bash me behind my back, and does not do anything. I might say it to her later; who knows, maybe she'll help me with my revenge."_

It would take a while for the huge confrontation to happen, and until them she would have to endure her "friends" company. Nothing to worry about. She was in The Program, which messed with people's ideals and turned the good into monsters. It would be even better if the massacre occurred at the end of the game, because then Kagura would automatically win.

As she walked back to her bedroom with a twisted glee on her face, Kagura couldn't stop thinking about an incident that happened on a previous Program. Know as "the lighthouse massacre" by the media, this incident had a lot of national repercussion and even appeared on the front page of many newspapers, along with the tragic failure that was that Program's edition. Kagura did not know much about it, except that it had been caused by a girl named Yuko Sakaki. She fatally poisoned one of her friends, and, shortly afterwards, they engaged in a gunfight which ended with all of them dead. The most surprising thing, though, was Yuko's reaction. She could have won that game; she had the weapons and the power to do so. Instead, she did the most stupid thing someone can make in a Battle Royale: commit suicide. She jumped from the lighthouse and threw her life away in an instant.

Kagura did not pity her. Nice example for future contestants, but Yuko still lacked something: persistence. Willpower. Smartness. And Kagura knew that she herself had it abundantly.

"_I won't be like her. She might have made it far out of luck, but she was weak. I'll be better, stronger. They will pay for what they did to me."_

When Kagura opened the door to her bedroom, she wasn't the same girl she was before. The Program had changed her. Inside of her once kind, truthful soul, only lies remained. Beautiful lies. Sweet lies.

* * *

><p>AUTHOR'S NOTE<p>

"The apartment girls. Kind of similar to the lighthouse girls from the original, isn't it? In my opinion, the lighthouse massacre was the best scene of the original, for many reasons: it had intensity, a very high body count, and most of all, happened between people who were friends with each other, instead of being caused by a complete psycho.

However, I couldn't just reproduce the same situation here. While some of the characters might be associated with a girl from the original, I tried my best to set them apart, and to give them a different role in the doom that is to come.

Sachiko Kirihara: She could be associated with Satomi Noda very easily. Both wear glasses and are model students, do drama at school, and even have slightly similar names. However, I decided to differentiate them by giving Sachiko a much warmer and outgoing personality. She's genuinely kind to Kagura, although also has problems of her own. Her abusive ex-boyfriend was also something to add for her personality, along with her genuine fear of being watched and robbed of her life in The Program.

Rin Tosaba: She's the leader. Yukie Utsumi also is. They are similar, right? Not really. Rin has tons of money, but it did not bring her happiness or a higher self-esteem. Instead, she feels forced and unhappy. Her father wanted the best for her, but things did not happen as he planned. Also, the trauma she went through as a child turned her into a very unstable and indecisive person. She's a very complex character, always in doubt between trusting her friends or not. Much different from the "perfect leader" Yukie was.

Kagura Soga: She could be clearly associated with Yuko Sakaki. Both want someone to die, and are insecure of themselves. Yuko, though, is one of my least favorite characters from the original. I don't think someone so frail could actually poison a plate. There's also a difference in their motivations. Here, Kagura's betrayal is intentional and even revengeful. She's not the type of person who has had an easy life, and it reflects on her personality Program. Even though she might be considered a villain, I like write about her. She's, in my opinion, a very human character. In her situation, I believe I would do the same.

So, this was by far the chapter I had more work with. In your opinion, was it worth it? I've decided to describe and explan the character's backstories in detail, so it obviously took me a lot of time and effort. However, I'm glad I finally finished this chapter. It will still take a while until I upload again.


	19. Madness

**Chapter 19**

Life can be very unfair at times. Mostly because it's impossible to choose what happens before birth. Around the world, many people are born ugly, poor, or to a family who hates and abuses them. And there's nothing that can be done about it, because the past cannot be changed.

For Hisame Shikamoto, the third option was the one which fitted better with her life. The girl didn't choose to be born as Mari Shikamoto's cousin, but the blonde was a part of her family whether she wanted it or not. Hisame was never very fond of her cousin's company, and looking past Mari's weak and dumb attitude, Hisame was sure that her cousin disliked her as well. The reason why, though, was a mystery.

Strangely enough, the two girls had much more in common than they were different. They looked slightly similar due to belonging of the same family, had little social life, were viewed as two weirdoes at school and at home and wore the same hairstyle. Shoulder length locks, blonde for Mari and black for Hisame. Mari's newest attempt to be in fashion.

However, Hisame never created a truly strong bond with her cousin. Mari was the only person she talked to at school for the lack of better options. Perhaps because, even though Hisame could spend hours making a list of her cousin's flaws, she had to admit that, if it wasn't for Mari, she would be a very lonely girl.

Hisame was a loner because of her family. To any onlooker, she personified the "angsty and boring teenage daughter" stereotype. She was rude with her parents and grandparents, and the only one in her house who was yet to feel her wrath was her three year old brother. However, Hisame would never admit being the culprit for her family's troubles. She wasn't the type of person who assumes responsibility for her own actions. For the impatient girl, her parents were to blame for everything, including her looks, personality and zero social status at school. And so was Mari.

Sometimes, Hisame wondered if she would get more popular after deciding to stop giving attention to Mari and opening up to the many cliques at school. Deep inside, though, she knew that acceptance wasn't something she should expect. Partially, it was her own fault. Hisame was aggressive to other students every time someone contradicted or argued against her. Once, she even called the teacher dumb, which led her to the principal's office for a day. The girl wasn't like this due to pure, genuine evilness, but rather because she hated to lose. No one could defeat her; no one would ever mess with her. School was just like home, everyone tried to put her down. If she wanted to rise to the top of the food chain, she would have to be tough.

Unfortunately, being tough was not enough.

It was already 20:30 pm, and the cousins' stay at the Kazukawa Inn quickly went from tense to utterly boring. Surprisingly, Mari had gotten much quieter. She had stopped mumbling about America, or being pathetically annoying as always. Maybe The Program had finally gotten into her, but it was probably another reason. Hisame stopped responding to her. By allowing Mari to say everything she wanted without hurting her, Hisame had managed to achieve some peace of spirit.

"_It's all about attention. This is what she wants; this is what she lives for. If I don't give her attention, she stops."_ While she thought about her cousin, Hisame wasn't sure about what Mari deserved more: her hatred or her pity.

Mari was, in a way, as unhappy as Hisame. She was nice and cheerful when she wanted to, but had severe self-esteem problems that would be hard even for a psychiatrist to heal. Her hatred for herself, in Hisame's eyes, was the reason why she loved America over Japan so much. And out of a sudden, Mari's repressed emotions had finally boiled over the surface. Even in the couch where she had been resting for so long, Hisame could still hear her cousin's sobs and laments, coming from the kitchen where dinner was being cooked. The refusal to accept her death.

Hisame wasn't ready to die. How could she? She was still a virgin, never finished high school or worked in her life, and did not have oceans of friends like the average teenager. She would kill in self defense, that was certain, but in case she managed to win, it would only happen due to extreme good luck. Hisame considered herself to be a lucky girl. After all, she had managed to escape her own death once.

Six months before The Program, Hisame and Mari were watching a concert in one of the biggest plazas in Tokyo. The band, Flip Side, was extremely famous and each of it's members had an ultra large fan club, the biggest one going to the lead vocalist, Junya Kenzaki. Hisame loved the concert, but Mari wasn't satisfied. Hating J-pop with every fiber of her being, the girl decided to go to a store a couple of blocks away, in the middle of the show. Hisame hated her cousin for abandoning her, but it was already midnight, and it would be impossible to find Mari after the concert if they weren't always together. With tears of anger in her eyes, Hisame made the best decision of her life: she accompanied Mari to the store.

While the girls were there, Mari cheerfully tried on the clothing while Hisame just looked angry in a corner when a loud explosion was heard. It was shortly followed by several screams and the sound of people running. The cousins ran back there to see what happened, and Mari began to cry after seeing that several of the people were wounded and bleeding. The aftermath of the explosion was devastating.

Someone, probably an anti-government terrorist, had put a bomb under the stage where Flip Side was playing. It suddenly exploded, killing approximately 200 people and wounding many more. Were the cousins still in the plaza, they would have received the full impact of the explosion. Probably, they would have gone back home in body bags.

While staring at her crying cousin's back, Hisame sighed at the ironies of fate.

As stupid and whiny as Mari was most of the times, she had unintentionally saved her life.

"_But if she knew that a bomb was about to explode, would she have told me?"_

Honestly, Hisame could never believe that her cousin would one day want her dead. Mari was kind and rarely got angry with anyone. The few times when she had actually argued back against her cousin happened only after Hisame made fun of the rock and pop idols she loved so much. However, Mari always gave the impression of secretly hiding something. Maybe her frail personality was only a show to Hisame, a trap to eliminate her from The Program.

"Dinner's ready!" Screamed Mari from the dining room.

Hisame took a while to make the connection. She had never seen Mari cook anything before, so the apparently lovable words came to her as a surprise. Maybe, just maybe, Mari would overcome her usual self-victimization and help her cousin to escape that horrible neighborhood alive. Holding on to that small being of light called hope, Hisame ran towards the dining room.

The vision of the place was so cheerful that it made Hisame forget about The Program. Mari was wearing a white apron over her school uniform, and smiled to her cousin so radiantly that she seemed to be on the verge of laughter. It was probably the first time she made dinner by herself, but the contents of the meal pointed otherwise. There was a portion of six sliced sushi on the table, along with a bowl of noodles for both of the girls. On another bowl at the center of table, there was even more rice, along with sashimi. Hisame had to admit: it looked absolutely delicious.

For the first time in years, she praised her cousin for something.

"Whoah, Mari, this looks so good! Congratulations girl!"

Hisame's kind words caused Mari to blush intensely, making a small but genuine smile with her lips. Had Hisame not been extremely hungry at the moment, she would have embraced Mari. But she wanted the food to come first, so the impatient girl took the seat on the right and began to hungrily devour the bowl of noodles.

Hisame stopped abruptly after two or three mouthfuls of food were in her mouth. Even though she wanted to say otherwise, even though she wanted to congratulate Mari, and to finally have a good meal… the taste of the food Mari had cooked was, undeniably, hideous.

Feeling a sensation of dirt in her throat and with vomit starting to load up in her mouth, Hisame gruesomely spilled back the noodles into the plate. She had never proved anything cooked by her cousin before, but even though that food looked good, the taste was hideous. Mari had clearly overboiled the noodles for a long time, causing them to taste like burned wood. Staring at her cousin with confused, angry eyes, Hisame uttered words that crushed even more of Mari's little self esteem.

"You can never do anything right, can you?"

Mari's eyes started to tear up one more time, but she was clearly making an effort to control her emotions. She sniffed upwards, and suddenly glared at her cousin with an aggressive, hurtful gaze. Hisame had never seen her cousin look at her that way. Was it a consequence of The Program?

"….stop" Mari said. Her face was a mixture of a thousand different emotions, but it was clear that she was repressing her anger towards Hisame. Being a smart girl, Hisame saw it all: Mari wanted her dead. It was so obvious. For years, it was Mari's objective. But only in The Program did she have her opportunity.

"Why? Why should I go soft with you? You are a bad cook, and also terrible at everything you do! Why should I accept this food? It's garbage, just like you!" In an attempt to make her cousin cry again, Hisame grabbed the bowl of noodles and angrily threw it on the wall. It shattered instantly, staining the white surface with raw, overcooked pasta. That dinner's place wasn't on the table. It was on the floor.

"Stop." Mari repeated her words, more determined than before.

"Wait…. Are you…. Are you trying to challenge me?" Hisame mocked her cousin openly, leaving the chair so quickly that it went two steps backwards. "So you like to play the victim, Mari? You love to blame me for everything, don't you? I won't let that happen anymore. If you want to play the overconfident bitch, go ahead. Just don't think I'll buy into this crap." Dominated by anger, Hisame stared into her cousin's hideous "blue" eyes. No one would mess with her again, and no one would blame her for anything. And most of all, no one would stop her from doing what she wanted.

"I said stop!" Suddenly, Mari did something Hisame wasn't waiting for. She pushed her cousin to the floor. The girl who had mistreated a family member for years suddenly found herself fallen flat on her back. Her foot hit the edge of the sofa and began to hurt- a lot. But no pain was bigger than what she came to realize. Mari was fighting back.

"At least I'm not a monster."

After saying those words, Mari calmly walked to the sofa and sat there, and a few seconds later, began to cry. For Hisame, her tears were more of a relief than anything else. It showed that Mari had not changed. Although the game was clearly affecting her minuscule brain, Mari was still the same weak crybaby she had always been. If Mari wanted to, she could have killed her cousin. Hisame's ax was on the floor, clearly available.

But although the thought gave her immense pleasure, Hisame wouldn't kill Mari. She was too… innocent to get killed. Besides, she was the only "friend" Hisame had in school. With Mari dead, Hisame would be alone in The Program. Alone and about to die.

Sharing her own frustrations with the only companion she had, Hisame went to the couch and sat there, turning her head away from Mari so as not to look in her eyes. Not that she would really see them, thanks to Mari's stupid blue lenses. The two stupid pieces of shit, that the blonde could do everything to get her hands on.

Hisame sighed. In a few moments, she began to bawl as well.

As usual, the long silence was broken by Mari. But she wasn't talking about America this time.

"You should thank me one day."

"For what, for turning my life into hell?" Hisame's eyes, red with all the crying, began to dry with the painful memories.

"I think I could say the same. But that's not it." Mari replied.

"Then what?"

"You should thank me for saving your ass on that day. You loved that band, you wanted it so much, and that's why you almost died because of it." Hisame couldn't see her cousin's face, but it was probably filled with relief. "And what did you give me in exchange? Insults. You never thanked me, never told me that I did the right thing, and did not spend a single day without making fun of the way I wear and how much I like America. You are ungrateful."

"Ungrateful?" Now the tears had dried completely. Hisame wasn't going to lose to Mari again. If The Program had changed her, then it had changed Hisame as well. "For destroying my day? If you had looked at my face _one fucking time,_ then you'd see that what you did wasn't a favor _at all_."

Mari shrugged. "At least I didn't destroy your life."

"Are you sure?" Deep inside, Hisame was about to laugh of the irony she was about to say. "If I had been blow up in that explosion and not even you were able to recognize me, I would have gone to a better place with a bang. And now, look at us. We are in The Program, against all odds, living like animals and probably going to die like animals. I don't think I'll win, and I'm sure that someone like you won't be the last one standing as well. If I could choose between then and here, I would prefer to die there, in that concert. I would be around people that I liked, and not with an annoying bitch."

Mari tried to answer, and for several seconds she struggled, but no words came out. She was defeated again. Fighting back wasn't enough to finally, and for once, put Hisame on the ground. But Hisame also increased her chances of survival. It was better to be with her than being alone. No one knew Mari more than her cousin, and vice-versa. Winning the fight against her low self esteem, Mari looked back at Hisame. And to make herself more approachable, she took off both of her blue lenses and threw them on the floor.

"I don't want to live like this."

"Who does?" Instead of mocking Mari, Hisame agreed with her.

"No, but in my case it's worse. I wanted to go to America. I always did. My dream is to go there, and since our uncle talked to me about how perfect that place is, I always believed in him. And you know what? I'm not going to change. I know no one will come to take us out of here, but I'll never think that he was wrong. How can a country brutalize and kill its own citizens? How can people do this to each other?" As clichéd as that speech sounded, Hisame was hooked into it.

"I know it all. But they have their own problems as well, don't they?"

"Yeah, they do. But nothing that could compare to _this." _Mari's face turned into a mask of anger. "You know how uncle convinced me that they were the land of the free? He told me that they don't have The Program every year."

"You sound like those two traitors who fled The Program, while we were kids. Can you remember?"

Being the anti-japanese type of girl, of course Mari did. For two years, the authorities chased that couple, going from door to door with their guns raised and putting missing posters on every street. When the boy and the girl seemed to have vanished from Earth's surface, a rebellious organization published a video on Youtube, in which the fugitive pair heavily criticized the government and ordered the extinction of The Program. They also informed the government of their location in America, where "no one could defeat them." The video was removed by the authorities only two days after publication, but it was enough time for most of the Japanese youth, including Hisame and Mari, to see it.

"_She's in The Program too. It's impossible for her not to identify with them." _Thought the false blonde.

"Well, I think you also want to be one of them right now." Unlike what her brain always told her, Mari looked much prettier with her natural brown eyes than with her false lenses. Prettier and even older. "They must be having children by now. I want to have a son and a daughter one day, but I know that it won't happen. I won't escape this fucking game, I won't meet my dreams. It's just…. Unfair." Mari began to cry one more time, the tears quickly soaking her white blouse. Two minutes before, she looked like a spoiled child. All of a sudden, she became an adult. And real adults cry when they feel pain, because they are not afraid of what others may think.

Looking at the melancholic figure of her cousin, part of Hisame wanted to hug her. Maybe she would tell Mari one or two words of encouragement, and say that everything would be alright even though she knew that nothing would. The other part, though, was enjoying Mari's suffering. Maybe it was the game, or maybe it was just her feelings. But it did not matter. Mari was _actually_ hurt and broken. She had fought bravely against her cousin, but lost.

Changing the subject would help her.

"Let's watch some TV." Said Hisame, grabbing the remote on the table in front of the couch and pressing its button. Nothing happened. Hisame pressed the button again. No results. Swearing softly, the impatient girl flipped the machine and checked its pills. They weren't there.

"Crap. No pills." Soon after Hisame was done, Mari let out a small giggle.

"You know, TVs are turned on by buttons that exist on top of them. Are you too lazy to stand up from the sofa and push it?"

"Fuck you." Hisame hated sports. She did physical education at school because it was her obligation. She wasn't beautiful by birth, extremely short and with a large nose and narrow eyes. The lack of exercising, though, also made her weak. She wouldn't last much in a fight, unless she had a gun. Mari got her on the Achilles heel. Hard.

Hisame turned the TV on.

The images projected on the screen would haunt the two cousins for the rest of their short lives. At first, it was just a filming of a large kitchen, with six girls inside of it. But the timer on the top-right side of the screen, dated from 2006, did not lie. It was live footage from a previous Program.

As soon as Mari realized it, she screamed at the top of her lungs.

"This is from this game? Turn it off now! These girls are going to kill each other!" It was so obvious that it became painful. What would the government show to the contestants who wanted to watch TV? Barney? Sailor Moon? No, it was the bloody carnage that made them turn into killers faster. Simple as it went.

However, Hisame did not turn the TV off. She was…curious, on how that scene would turn out.

Suddenly, it started. A rather chubby girl tasted some food and then began to vomit blood on the floor. Her body arched and contorted itself while her face turned blue. In seconds, she was on the floor, instantly dead. The volume of the TV was extremely low, but it did not matter. Both cousins felt every second of it.

"Hisame , turn it off now! Please!" Mari's eyes grew wide as she screamed, and turned her head away from the TV. She shielded her face with her arms, so as not to see the tragedy that was to come. Back to her old fragility, Mari was horrified.

Hisame, though, remained fixed on her standing position. She did not know how to react to the scene. She had just seen someone die, not really, but a real person nonetheless. A whirlwind of different emotions flooded inside of her, and her mind was overtaken by confusion. But still, she did not stop watching. It was a horrible scene but… it was fun to watch.

After a few more seconds that showed the girls on the TV blaming each other about the incident, accompanied by the nice soundtrack of Mari's screaming, another death occurred in the footage. One of the girls, who wore glasses and held a machine gun in her arms, shot one of the others dead in an instant. The bullets made a hole on the fallen girl's stomach, and she fell on the kitchen floor in a pool of her own blood.

Hisame's eyes grew wide.

"HISAME, TURN THIS THING OFF!" Mari might have tried to do the job herself, but she was too frightened. The only action that she could muster, besides the screaming, was rocking her own body in a fetal position. She never saw the glorious bloodbath her cousin was experiencing. She wasn't affected by it like Hisame was.

After the first two girls were down, the rest happened very fast. Two more girls tried to get a pistol and shoot the crazy girl who held the better weapon, to no avail. They were both shot, and fell to the floor in a bloody heap. For a while, the girl who wielded the machine gun seemed to be the winner of that Program's edition. But while she walked towards the other living classmate, who stood in front of a fridge with her eyes filled with fear, the supposed winner got a pistol shot to the head and died instantly. She fell on her side; her brains stained the floor along with even more blood.

Hisame took a while to realize that she was smiling. When she finally did, the impatient girl, now turned into a psychopath, dropped the remote control on the floor. She held it so tightly, and for so long, that the instrument had the smell of the sweat on her hands. Sweat was dripping down Hisame's body, and her face turned into an expression of pure glee as soon as she saw Mari's shielded face.

"_Why did I take so long to see it…" _So that was how everything would turn out in the end. Friends come and go, people come and go, and lives never survive The Program. But some things always remain. Fear. Hatred. Jealously. Paranoia. Anger. And all of these different emotions dominated Hisame's heart. It was an easy battle; they already had a fixed target to turn to.

Mari. It had always been Mari. All of Hisame's problems, the reason why she never made friends, the cause of so much loneliness and emptiness in her life. Hisame could never sleep well due to Mari's constant calls, never do what she wanted because Mari was in the way, and most of all, never been allowed to get a single second of peace.

America, that shitty country, had never been a land of opportunities. The real Promised Land was there all along, in The Program. While she was in it, Hisame could find her freedom. She could do whatever she wanted, with no one to hold her back. She could torture Mari until sundown if she wanted to, and no one else would give a damn. There was a reason she had been saved from death on that Flip Side concert. Her job while still alive was to murder Mari. The ugly, stupid, ridiculous cousin of hers deserved that, she had to pay for everything. Hisame had the ax, but, in her twisted logic, it was the blade of justice.

"Hi…sa…me…?"

Hisame's teeth turned into a wolf's, and as she looked at the terrified Mari with mad, cruel eyes, the newest player in the 2011 season grabbed the small Bowie knife she had taken from Miki Nakayoshi's body.

Screaming ferociously, Hisame brutally impaled her cousin's left hand.

* * *

><p>Although Mari Shikamoto had never felt a lot of pain in her life, she knew that she had never experienced more of it the moment she got her hand stabbed.<p>

The quick movement of the knife cut through every sort of tissue that existed in the blonde's hand, burning through her flesh and tearing her muscles. Mari screamed in pure agony, and for a moment the world spun around her. The red liquid began to pour from the wound, much to the smiling Hisame's delight. Soon, Mari's left hand had turned red, along with the fabric of her blue skirt. It was clear that she was going to die, but dying by the hands of her own cousin was the last option the girl considered.

Before Mari could scream more, Hisame removed the knife from her cousin's hands. Mari felt like her hand was on fire, and the removal of the knife did not make it better. If anything, the bleeding worsened. Now there were two large stains of blood on the couch. And growing.

Mari stared at what she once called Hisame. She wanted to believe that there was still some sanity in her cousin's mind, but that quick look was enough to destroy all of her hopes. Hisame's face had turned red and malicious, and the blood that dripped from Mari's hands only made her even more excited for the kill. Mari felt a pang of regret. When she had the chance, she could have turned off the TV by herself. But the extreme fear of blood she had paralyzed her body. The consequences were right in front of her. Hisame, the cousin she had been her confident and only companion for so many years, had suddenly turned into… something else.

Making a small giggle with her mouth, Hisame raised the bloody knife higher in the air, ready to make another stab. Mari, though, did not let it happen. Guided by pure adrenaline, the terrified blonde moved her right leg backwards and kicked Hisame in the stomach. The brunette half of the pair grunted in pain and moved a few steps backwards. Not much, but enough for Mari to escape the sofa and run towards the dining table.

As she grabbed her frying pan in a midst of bravery and despair, Mari wondered if, in the end, Hisame was right about her. It wasn't the right time to analyze their troubled relationship, but in the back of Mari's mind something told her that she was the guilty one. It all made sense. Hisame had openly showed that she disliked the US. And yet, Mari kept tormenting her by stepping on a dead subject. She had also unconsciously saved Hisame's life on that day at the concert, but failed to protect her cousin from the horrors contained in that TV. In the end, Hisame became a pressure cooker. Maybe it was fate? Mari didn't believe in that. It was just, like always, an immense amount of bad luck.

Leaving her own shell for a moment, Mari ran to the stove and grabbed the frying pan on top of it. Had it remained hot, it could have been a dangerous weapon. But cold as it had become, it was no match for Hisame's ax. Mari thought about grabbing a knife in one of the drawers, but her left hand had gone completely numb; she could use only one weapon at a time. At first, she lamented her bad luck, but now the girl understood that she would have to find a way of making her weapon deadly. Right in front of her, Hisame grabbed the ax and ran towards her cousin.

There was no time to think.

Miraculously, the frightened blonde managed to dodge the blade. She jumped to her right, and the sharp curve of the heavy ax hit the floor with a crack. Hisame tried lifting it up, but not being very strong, she would take a while to do so. Exactly what Mari needed. In desperate self defense, the blonde swung the frying pan and knocked her cousin on the head. The dark-haired girl fell like a tower, hitting her head on the edge of a table as she did so. A trickle of blood began to pour from her forehead.

Seeing the violence she created with her own hands, Mari began to scream.

Even though Hisame was the one who attacked first, Mari had always been terrified of blood. Since that day when Marilyn Monroe, the poodle she had in her house, got run over by a car and died instantly, everything that involved violence made her cry and shriek. The Program only made things worse. However, getting selected to die wasn't a surprise. The blonde considered herself to be unlucky since the moment she was born. She wasn't born in America, and was forced to sing that horrible Japanese anthem every day at school. Her dog had died and her mother did as well, of cancer. Her cousin constantly abused her, and her status as an outcast at school prohibited her from making friends. She was also ugly, not having the silky and beautiful blonde hair or the bright blue eyes everyone loved to look at. To topple it off, she received a frying pan as her "weapon", in a game with guns and knives. Yes, she had always been the unlucky one. The victim.

At least in her own mind.

"Crybabies like you, Mari…" uttered Hisame with malice. "Don't deserve to survive this game."

Hisame's words shook Mari back to reality. Her cursed cousin was now right in front of her, holding the ax threateningly. Fear caused Mari to step backwards, cornering her between the bedroom door and the insane Hisame. Death was certain. Hisame began to send the ax backwards.

Although Mari was not athletic or strong, she did swimming at school. It led her to faster reflexes than her cousin, and also a greater speed. It was time to use it. Adrenaline rushed through her veins as Mari pushed Hisame backwards, stunning her for a moment. Then, the blonde managed to open the door that led to the bedroom, creeping into it as fast as fox. When Hisame struck down with the ax, it was too late; Mari had entered the room and locked it, leaving the ax to chop off the wood.

Hisame continued to axe the door mindlessly, but Mari did not hear her. Her mind was filled with uncertainty, doubt, fear. As she looked around the room, which only had two beds and a closet, along with a small window, the wannabe American had her eyes fixed on one object before moving to the next one.

"_Hiding under the bed? No, she'll find me there. In the closet, maybe? I might go for a surprise attack, but she has a better weapon and will probably hit me first. Which only leaves me…."_

"Crack! Crack!" Guttural sounds came from the door, increasing in volume instantaneously. Mari could now hear Hisame's laughter, her giggling and cursing, a beautiful but horrible song of madness. For a moment, Mari thought that it was all a joke, and as soon as the song ended Hisame would go back to normal. It wouldn't happen. The damage had already been done.

Crying, Mari went to the window and looked outside. She was on the second floor, and a fall from there would probably cripple her. However, it was still a beautiful night, with the moon being the only illuminated spot in a dark, star-less sky. The buildings made a surreal stone jungle, and if she wasn't in The Program Mari would have enjoyed the view. But the girl did not have the time to admire the night. The world around Kazukawa Inn was a terrifying place, and she would certainly get wounded after doing the craziness she was about to do. But did she really have a choice?

Hisame began to open the door from the inside, her smile disappearing from her face as soon as she saw her cousin standing at the window.

Seconds later, Mari held her breath and jumped.

* * *

><p>"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"<p>

Mari's high pitched scream of pain could be heard on the entire district.

To Hisame, it was music for her ears. But nothing compared to the last dying breath Mari would emit. It was clear that she had broken something, and the mad girl had no time to lose now. Killing Mari would be easier if she was already wounded. Running with her brain empty of thoughts that did not involve death and blood, Hisame held the heavy ax even tighter and left the hotel room in a hurry. She could feel her heart beating loudly, the power pulsing through her body as she carried her weapon in twisted pleasure.

No time for the elevator, she would have to take the stairs. The brunette ran down the steps like an Irish ghost, floating in the darkness and not giving a damn about anything else. Mari was her target and enemy, and now she finally had means to silence her. If she knew that physically hurting someone was so easy, Hisame would have done it more to Mari. She would have spanked her cousin every time she raised her voice, and turned Mari's life into a horrible, never ending nightmare. She regretted not doing it before, but it was no problem; she had the opportunity and the guts now.

After Mari, Hisame was certain that she would win. If she did not, well, at least she would not die like a coward. And if luck was on her side, she would die with a bang.

Mari was crawling her slow body on the floor of dark stones, close to the garden. She didn't go very far, and it would take more than ten minutes to reach the front gate. Mari couldn't stand up because her right leg was broken, its bone protruding in an unnatural angle, almost tearing through the skin. The wound was grotesque, and Hisame could imagine the pain Mari was feeling. The blonde was crying and howling in pain more than she ever had, but it was nothing compared to the fate The Program had reserved for her.

The first hack from the ax went to Mari's intact left foot. It was severed instantly, and arterial blood pumped out of it in a stream. The sliced member rolled on its side and fell closer to Hisame. She would send it to Mari's uncle through internet after she won The Program.

With her two legs useless, whatever will to live she still had disappeared from Mari. She closed her eyes as the tears kept falling, crawling with her remaining arms in a useless fashion. Hisame did not waste any time; she severed Mari's right hand with another hack, cutting through meat and bone and destroying all four of her locomotive members. She wouldn't live much longer, but Hisame wouldn't give her cousin such a clean death. The fans loved those who were creative, and brutalizing Mari's body would get her the approval from society she had never received before.

Despite her wounds, Mari half turned her body, just in time to have Hisame's ax rammed into the side of her belly. The large hack spilled blood all over her uniform, and even some drops fell on Hisame's face. The blade punctured her internal organs, which began to slide out very slowly along with the blood that flowed. Screaming in agony, Mari fell on her back. Hisame began to ax it, one, two, three, four times. Soon Mari's spine was completely shattered, and the crunching noises of her breaking bones filled the air. However, Hisame did not have enough strength to drive the ax all the way through, creating bloody, grotesque chunks of flesh all over Mari's back. Arterial blood fell over Hisame's clothes and made her look like a painted Indian. The air smelled horribly. The girl who always wanted to be American died in seconds, erupting blood from her mouth and drowning in infinite pain.

Still, Hisame kept going. She kept hacking her cousin's body more and more, rupturing her organs, draining her blood and breaking every single bone she had. She screamed like _The Exorcist_ girl all along, and maybe in the end she was possessed as well. Soon, Mari grew unrecognizable, and so did Hisame. She looked like a demon, bloodied from her face to her sockets. The little sanity that remained in Hisame's mind disappeared, and as her final hack on the already dead Mari chopped off her head in one last spray of gore, the Hisame that lived before The Program was already dead.

"_None of them will remain but me!" _

Looking as far as she could with her bloodied eyes, Hisame saw another girl entering the garden. She had passed through the gate while Mari was being axed, and stared at the scene completely horrified. Hisame did not know who it was due to the darkness, but did it matter? It was just another one to be axed to death and have her weapon stolen. Hisame ran towards the tall girl, ready to split her skull in half with the bloodied ax. Her legs were faster than her thoughts, and they brought her extremely close to the visitant before she knew it.

With her mind obscured by insanity, Hisame wasn't counting on the fact that she would never be faster than a gunshot. And this is exactly what happened. The taller girl, who was beautiful even when her face was obscured by darkness, suddenly pulled out a pistol and aimed at Hisame's head. The killer tried to stop, but it was too late.

Instead of dying with a bang, Hisame Shikamoto got two.

* * *

><p>It was the first time Misa Fujiwara used the 44. AutoMag she took from Kageri, and she wasn't sure if she would be able to hit the insane girl. But at such a close range, missing was impossible. Misa pulled the trigger twice, and both gunshots proved themselves to be fatal. The first turned Hisame's right eye into a hole of gore, and exploded the back of her head like a watermelon. The second hit the right top of her forehead, and the area around it became a thick, red paste of nightmares. The two combined gunshots exploded and burned the right side of the crazy girl's head, destroying everything from her hair to the beginning of her jaw. As Hisame fell, her body made a gracious, almost disturbingly beautiful curve in the air, and arterial blood spilled profusely from her wounds as she fell on her side with a thud. She was dead before hitting the floor, with a mixture of her jelly-like brains, warm blood and black hair creating a hellish pool around her head. Her right ear was ripped from the rest of the head and fell several inches away.<p>

Misa stared at Hisame's dead face, or better, the surviving half of it. She couldn't believe on what had just happened. In a moment, she wanted to find shelter in a supposedly abandoned hotel. On another, she watched the goriest thing she had ever witnessed in her life, moments before adding another body to the "deceased" category. She was getting sick.

"_What is this… this thing, turning us into?"_

Hisame killed a family member. Misa had killed twice. Kageri also wanted to play the game. And many others out there were doing the same, shooting, stabbing and burning the ones they gossiped with at school and sat with in the same class. Where had the 3A class gone? _What happened to everyone?_

But the worst thing was the promise. The promise Misa made after seeing Kageri's body. That she wouldn't kill again, wouldn't let The Program and the government win. Saying it was easier than doing it. In a similar situation, she had killed. Again. Hisame's blood, all over her shirt, confirmed it. It was nothing compared to the gallons of red liquid that flowed from what was left of Mari, but still, it was a horrible sight.

As she got closer to Mari's disemboweled body, Misa began to feel nauseated and had to hold the vomit inside of her throat. Along with all of that, another emotion came: guilt. Why had she not shot Hisame before, stopped her when she had the chance? The beautiful and proud girl suddenly turned into a child, begging for someone, a higher power or even her mom, to come into Saitama and take her out of there. Hisame was a monster, but Misa was no different. By killing two people, she was forever negated of her status as a normal human being.

For the first time since the beginning of the game, Misa Fujiwara cried.

**Girl #12 Mari Shikamoto – Dead**

**Girl #1 Hisame Shikamoto – Dead**

**13 to go**

* * *

><p>AUTHOR'S NOTE<p>

Like most chapters lately, this one also took a lot of effort, and many hours of no sleep, to be finished. I consider its content to be inevitable, since the building of tension between Hisame and Mari could only lead to one of them murdering the other. My intention was to make both of them equally flawed, so as not to create a good and evil picture. It'll be up to each reader to choose their side in the confrontation. Who's right, Hisame or Mari? The answer is, neither of them. Because both committed mistakes during their entire lives, which lead to their deaths.

Was the gore exaggerated? I've been reading through "72 Hours" and its sequel, "Uprising", recently. Therefore, it's not a surprise that I'm trying to replicate the ultra violence here. I don't want to make it look extremely implausible, and, in my opinion, being killed by an ax is one of the worst ways a human being can die. Much worse than knife or sword related cutting. My question to all readers and reviewers: Was the conclusion to Mari and Hisame's arc satisfying for you? Why?

See you all on the next chapter! I will take a break with the killing for a while.


	20. Love Letter

**Chapter 20**

"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen."

During her short life, Aya Tsunaba had spoken The Lord's Prayer so many times that it became her routine. For the girl, it was the most beautiful and delightful arrangement of words ever invented in mankind, a song of peace she wished everyone was able to hear.

More than just showing devotion to God, that prayer also helped Aya to survive in The Program. Being religious wasn't really an advantage, but on figurative grounds, it worked. People who have faith tend to be more hopeful and confident about their actions, and although the girl did not know about it, she definitely did fit the profile.

"_Killing that girl was easy. The hard part comes now."_

And this brought Aya to the next point. Survival. Alone in The Program by option and without a firearm, her first kill had a good chance of also being her last. Maybe it would have been better to keep Natsumi Moriguchi around longer, so that she could receive some help in case of attack before dishing her off. Right now, Aya was certain that no one could trust her. Her uniform and sword were both very bloodied, and only a hot shower would be able to clean them If she decided to ally again, it wouldn't work for a second time.

Aya sighed.

None of them deserved her trust, anyway.

However, Aya did not stop to hide in one place, where she could get something to help her in the game. For her, hiding was for cowards who reject The Lord. If she wanted to win, and she would win if there was any good in the world, she would have to keep moving. And this is how Aya came back to the same place where she found Natsumi and her friend, Rena Kuroda.

The playground.

Even though Aya had been there before only once, and on that same day, the place made her feel heavy and melancholic, like if she was made of bricks. It wasn't built to be that way, but that abandoned playground could only bring sadness. Once in an ancient time, the playground was bright and beautiful, filled with joyful children. Now, though, it was abandoned. It had become old and rusty, with spider webs on every single toy. It had probably been abandoned much before The Program started, although Aya did not think about that.

Although it was already night time, the Catholic could easily make out the shapes. A small swing, a red merry-go-round, a purple slope. Toys scattered around the area. To top it off, there was a pool filled with sand, and a small toy-horse only a few feet away from it. It would be every child's under 8 years old dream land, before the competition of the adult world kicked in and took away all of the happiness and playfulness from their lives.

For Aya, that place was, for the lack of better worlds, nostalgic.

The Christian girl with bloodied clothes sat on the swing, so gently that it remained still. She dropped the katana on the floor, ignoring the fact that the powerful sword was her only real weapon. The GPS would warn her of other players, though, and then she would have time to do something to counterattack. Slowly but surely, Aya allowed the hot wind of the night to drift her thoughts to another direction, temporarily forgetting about the game.

Aya began to move up her legs and to push her butt to the front. The swinging began. The girl's thin, slender body began to move, rocking the swing faster and faster until she could feel like flying in a departing plane.

Aya closed her eyes. She would win, and it was her duty to do so, but The Program could wait. What she wanted the most, at that moment, was to enjoy the playground she had never been allowed to go to for so many years, before continuing the killing spree that would lead her to Heaven one day. Aya's ears only heard the same sounds, and her legs always stood in the same position. But it did not matter. As long as the Christian was able to throw back her head in the air and feel the calm breeze in her body, she was happy.

Aya was as happy as she had been in the orphanage, so many years ago. There, while kind people taught her about God and His law, she could also enjoy the simple fact of being a child. The orphanage also had its own playground, and a small lake where the children could bathe their tiny bodies in. Aya did not remember of making any really close friends there, and she knew much less of the names her peers had. However, she would never forget their giggling faces and happy smiles, while inviting her to play with them. Those were the best years of her life, and it was saying a lot. Aya would probably not have more than a day remaining to live.

The murderess did not know how she came to the orphanage. She was too young to know. Sometimes, if she thought about it for a while, Aya could remember the faces of her real parents, a man and a woman. Her mother's small eyes and big nose, even when other kids made fun of them, were traits Aya was proud to have inherited. The girl could also remember the cold winter of Hokkaido, the coldest island in Japan. Her oldest memory was an image of herself looking at a window, and watching the trees becoming more beautiful than ever, glowing in the snow.

Winter had always been her favorite season.

It was also during the winter when Aya left the orphanage. Mr. and Mrs. Tsuanaba were strict, feverous Christians who were looking for a girl to adopt. Since the moment they stepped into the orphanage, they asked many of the female children about religion. As it seemed, they weren't going to adopt anyone, they were looking for a child who actually knew a lot about God and devoted her time to Him. And Aya was the chosen one.

Although many memories of the orphanage made Aya's days and night a little bit better, none of them remained in her brain more than the church. Since she was four, Aya was told to believe in God, and in his son Jesus Christ. The orphanage was a catholic institution, and a very good one at what it did. The children had to pray every day before eating and sleeping, and on Sundays, obviously, they had to go to church and worship the Lord there. Many of the children got bored about it, and some even fell asleep during prayer. But Aya wasn't one of them. She enjoyed it more than anything, and whenever she had free time, the girl went back to The Lord's house to pray a little bit more. The cause? Jesus. Even though Aya had never seen or known him, she admired that man. He was the father she wanted to have had; kind, compassionate, loving, powerful and beautiful. And most of all, he never abandoned anyone, like her biological parents did. Besides, Aya was sure that He would lead her to eternal salvation one day, and receiving a better life had always been her main goal in life.

This was why Aya was so reluctant to leave the orphanage, when the Tsunaba family gave her some candy and told her that, from that day on, they would be her parents. It couldn't be! Aya's father was Jesus, then and forever! On the other hand, the little Christian girl felt very lonely in that orphanage, without a family or friends of her age. During cold nights, she would sometimes cry and wonder what having a mother to hug during sleep or to read a bedtime story with would feel like.

Aya accepted the offer. She didn't have much of a choice, anyway.

On her way home, the young girl stared at the snowy trees through the car window, for a very long time. Unlike her first memory, on that day they looked decayed and grey, and on the verge of death.

While the wind around the swing gently moved up her hair, Aya opened her eyes.

The full moon was brighter and more beautiful than ever. It was the queen of the dark sky, being the only illuminated spot there. Seeing so much beauty, Aya could only lament at what was happening to the world. Pollution, violence, sex… It all contributed to destroy the natural beauty nature had. And people were to blame. Not because they had been born evil, but because they got away from the path The Lord had given to them. And it was Aya's duty, as His daughter, to make them know of His will before dying, and also to feel His wrath.

If The Program did not involve killing, Aya wouldn't have murdered Natsumi. But only one could remain, and Aya wouldn't die for others to live. Jesus had sacrificed himself for the future of mankind, in a complete act of love. But although she loved Him with all of her heart, Aya had to admit that He was wrong at one point.

Some people cannot be saved.

When Aya began her life as a student in Tsuchihara, in seventh grade, she thought that her classmates would be like her foster parents had told her good people were. That they would respect God's law, love each other like He had loved them, and turn the other cheek every time they were attacked. She was wrong, deadly wrong.

Already in her first week of school, Aya had seem some of the worst types of human beings she could never imagine meeting. At best, she was shocked. At worst, she was horrified. The Bible said that people should turn the other cheek, but many girls got angry at others over extremely silly grudges, and pleasurably enjoyed the pain and suffering of others. Bullying and physical abuse were a constant in the school's halls.

Also, it was written in Holy Book that sex could only happen after marriage and for procreation. And yet, girls who had not even reached their thirteenth birthday talked openly about their sexual experiences. Instead of saving their bodies for men who truly loved them, many of Aya's classmates shamefully dressed like sluts and behaved as such. And why? To impress dirty and greedy boys who wanted nothing more than sex. After she heard, in the school's cafeteria, about how Tsukiko Amano came to lose her virginity, Aya couldn't control herself and went to the bathroom to vomit.

It was wrong. Everything was so wrong with those people. Where had the smiling and cheerful church goers gone, the ones who donated money to charity and helped others in the way to Salvation? Had those girls no morals, no shame, no sense of love for themselves? Didn't they realize the consequences of what they did, how much they destroyed themselves and the others around them? How did they come to forget what Moses told their ancestors so many years ago, in the Ten Commandments?

Although the fifth commandment said "thou shalt not kill", Aya was more than glad to break this rule when she destroyed Natsumi.

The girl knew that some of her classmates were trapped so deeply in the dark pit that led to Hell that there was absolutely no chance for them to be saved. They would never learn, and eternal damnation would eventually come to them, sooner or later. Sometimes, Aya tried to convince them that what they were doing was wrong, only to get insulted and even slapped as a result. People stopped talking to her, and soon the girl's chances of having a friend at school were below zero. As a consequence, Aya also stopped interacting with her fellow classmates. They were fated to a horrible suffering after death anyways. It was none of her business to prevent it.

Then The Program came, and all of a sudden, Aya knew that she could still do something.

Out of all of her 21 classmates, several names came to the girl's mind. Most of them, though, were already dead. Only two people remained, two sinners who could not stay alive any longer. The first one was Kumiko Noma, whose destructive attitude and sexuality would only cause pain to more people if she survived The Program. The next one was Shizuko Honda. She had committed the sin of the flesh before marriage, and had even gotten herself pregnant! At least she had not aborted her child, cowardly murdering a human life in the process. If so, Aya would make her suffer a lot before her bloody, painful death.

Natsumi came more like an occasion. She wasn't as bad as Kumiko, Tsukiko or Shizuko, but she also could not stay alive and survive The Program. She would die sooner or later, so that Aya could win. Besides, Aya had seen with her own eyes how much Natsumi hated school, being loud and obnoxious in class and a terrible student. And much like the majority of the class, she rarely showed any respect to her teacher. Initially, Aya would give her a quick death, decapitating the girl and ending her suffering quickly. But after the first cut on the other girl's back, a simple attempt to keep her from escaping, Aya couldn't stop. Her body longed for more violence and pain, and Aya easily gave in to it. Everytime she closed her eyes, Aya could still see Natsumi's bloodied, mutilated face, begging for her to stop.

Aya wouldn't give in to the temptation again. At least, she would try not to.

Aya was, overall, a real pacifist before The Program. However, she could get extremely aggressive and cruel if someone mocked her religion or physically hit her first. Once, while she was going back home from school, Aya saw an old beggar, freezing in the cold and asking for money. She went there to help him, but as soon as he saw the Bible under her left arm, he rejected the money, saying that it was "dirty". Afterwards, the poor man yelled at Aya, saying that her religion was wrong and garbage, and that all Christian girls are nothing but whores who pretend to be prudes.

Aya got so irritated by his narrow-minded view of Christianity that anger coursed through her body like a hurricane. She began to curse back at him, and when he insisted, Aya used the heavy Bible as a bludgeon to bash his head and face. She hit him mercilessly, smiling more and more upon hearing each of his cries of pain. When she finally stopped, he had already passed out. Aya ran from that place and cried over what she did. At home, she prayed several times, and even confessed her sin to the local priest. It made her feel better, after a while.

But the more Aya tried to control the beast lying inside of her, the more she had to admit that it would eventually come out and take over her mind. That evil, impure, demonic force would be the only way for her to kill the strongest contestants in The Program, such as Kumiko, who was clearly excited while leaving the school. Aya was the type of girl who could see a lot behind people's faces, but it did not mean that she always enjoyed what she saw there. If anything, her analyzing skills only added to her idea: that some people are inherently evil and death is the only thing that can be done for them.

The girl had been thinking for so long, and so intensively, that she had forgotten about the fun of the moment. There had never been a more peaceful sensation than just chilling out on a swing. Aya used to play in one a lot back in the orphanage, in a time when there was nothing for her to worry about. It was fun, beautiful… and she could still replay that feeling, even in The Program.

Aya closed her eyes, and began to empty her mind of everything. She managed to stop thinking only a few seconds later, and suddenly the world became darkness and sound.

The breeze in her hair, the rocking noise of the swing, her feet touching the earth for movement, the icy touch of the chains on the palm of her hands. Aya could only feel this, and it was absolutely delightful. She was flying higher than any bird could dream of. The moonlight was the only witness to her moment of redemption, after all of the blood she had already spilled.

The girl kept playing with the swing for a very long time, more than five minutes at least. She felt like going back to childhood, but sadly, she couldn't stay there forever. Her legs were beginning to tire, and worst, the sound of the swing could attract someone. Distracted and with her eyes closed, Aya would be an easy target for anyone who had a gun.

Shrugging sadly, Aya tried to stop the swing in one abrupt movement. She failed but kept trying, and gradually the most fun place in the world began to stop. By the third stop, it remained still. Aya rose up quickly, feeling tired and a bit dizzy. Her legs did hurt a bit, but it did not matter. The pleasure of the moment overcame all of the rest.

Soon after she grabbed her bloody katana once more, Aya began to leave the playground. After walking only ten feet, the girl looked back one last time. Even if she died in that game, she would never forget that place. Unconsciously, Aya's right arm came to her face and whipped away a tear.

She wished that, while she was young enough, the Tsunabas had allowed her to play with other children. At least a little bit.

* * *

><p>Should she draw many hearts on the back of the paper? No. It was too girly. It would detract from the seriousness of the situation.<p>

Should she begin by writing how much she loved him? No. What came afterwards would have little impact then. It would also seem like a cheap soap opera letter.

Should she go out and try to find a mail post? Of course not. That was ridiculous. He would never receive it. And if she went outside, she would be risking herself.

Like most people from her generation, Kyoko Tachibana had never written a letter before. With internet all around and little time to spend in front of a paper, she and pretty much everyone else at Tsuchihara talked to each other after getting home by e-mail or social networks. Although Kyoko was a good student in literature class, dialoging to someone via a piece of paper seemed, at least, foreign. With no active computers in The Program, due to the constant monitoring from the government, writing a letter was the only option.

But for one of the most beautiful girls in 3A, which media to use wasn't the most important thing.

What really mattered was him. Nobuo Tsuruta, Kyoko's boyfriend for a year. Kyoko's parents often told the girl that she was too young to fall in love, and should focus more on her studying instead. She couldn't disagree more. To begin with, Kyoko's grades remained as high as ever after they started to date. And more importantly, the girl's life was so intertwined with Nobuo's that she couldn't even think about breaking up with him.

Kyoko's devotion to Nobuo was the only thing still keeping her awake. It wasn't even 10 pm yet, but Kyoko's body was as tired as if she had spent the entire night at a party. The girl's brain told her to fall asleep, much like Asuka Yamanaka, her best friend for life, already had done. Asuka seemed to be having a peaceful slumber, which was very odd considering all of the danger and violence that surrounded her. Her back was turned away from Kyoko, but it was clear that she had gotten luckier than her friend, and managed to sleep quietly.

"_She must be dreaming of him by now…"_

Kyoko's eyebrows went down, along with her emotional state. Although she always knew how lonely Asuka felt without a boyfriend, Kyoko never once thought of the possibility of Asuka being jealous of her, much falling in love with Nobuo. Kyoko could see why: Asuka did not have many other options. Being in an all-girls school only made dating more difficult, and Asuka wasn't the type of girl who spends the night with the first boy she looks at. Kyoko always told her friend to be patient when it came to boys, to be nice and kind with them and show sincerity. However, Asuka didn't get a boyfriend in the end. And Kyoko knew why.

The beautiful student had grown up believing that nice, polite girls always get lucky in love. It was a belief created by the fairy tales she read as a child, the typical "Prince Charming" fantasy every girl had. The perfect boy is the one who sees the personality and the inner beauty, and not the physical appearance. For the young Kyoko, when she eventually reached the age to date, a man like this would come to her, and then they would live happily ever after.

The reality, as she would unfortunately learn halfway through middle school, was very different. Boys would always take a slutty, bitchy girl rather than a nice one, at any time. Why? Because they are easy, and give them what they want faster. And what all boys want is sex. It's all they care about. In parties that happened outside of school, Kyoko had been approached by several drunken boys, all of them making rude gestures and some even showing condoms to her, or openly asking for sex. Kyoko always refused their initial advances, but most boys did not stop trying. For them, she was playing hard to get. But in reality, Kyoko was disgusted. Sometimes, she did hook up with a few guys, with the condition of not going all the way through, only to stop their insistence and make them go away. They wouldn't accept "no" for an answer, so a false "yes" made everything work.

"_But he's different, isn't he?"_

Kyoko smiled. Nobuo was the only one who did not see her as a pretty face with nice breasts. He did not try to kiss her on the first day they met. He just talked to her, asked how she was, bought her gifts in her birthday, and actually _cared._ He was from a classmate from the piano class both attended, and some of Kyoko's faourite songs were actually taught by him. It soon became obvious that they would end up dating, and the day when it finally happened would always remain in Kyoko's memory. He kissed her at a small beach by her house, during sundown. On that day, he called her to go to the beach with him, were she would eventually learn volayball as well. They went there together, in swimsuits, and that magical kiss finally came to existence while they were playing with the waves. It did not have a reason; it just happened. From them on, they were inseparable.

Sometimes, Kyoko thought about how lucky she was. She could have never met Nobuo, and it all could have been much worse. Kyoko could have become like Shizuko Honda instead, dating a boy who did not really love her and only wanted sex. And much like almost all of the boys, Shizuko's boyfriend left her soon after he got her pregnant, because he was a coward who did not want to take responsibility for his actions. Kyoko knew of Shizuko's story. Everyone in class did. However, Shizuko did not want to talk to anyone except for her two friends, and so all of Kyoko's tries to help the pregnant girl were futile.

Staring at the paper in a desperate effort to get some inspiration, Kyoko sighed. She was very lucky indeed.

But did she love Nobuo as much as he loved her?

"_He deserves better than this. He deserves a girl who can write him a perfect, beautiful letter. And he needs to know how I'm doing here, and to hear my last thoughts before my inevitable…death."_

A burst of horrible images suddenly appeared in Kyoko's brain. Nobuo opening the front door of his house only to see his girlfriend in a body bag, beaten and bloodied. Asuka dying in her friend's arms, her pupils dilating in front of Kyoko. An inversed situation, with Kyoko herself dying in Asuka's arms. Her own corpse, bloodied and bullet-riddled, being eaten by crows, bugs and every other slimy creature that existed. Her parents and boyfriend crying and putting flowers in her grave, with a huge "Kyoko Tachiabana, 1995-2011" written on it.

Kyoko shook her head violently, but the images did not go away. The girl let out a small scream,and even pulled her own hair a little. It worked. Up to a point.

"_Damn it, focus! If you want to finish writing this, you will need to focus!"_

Erasing those barbarities from her thoughts, Kyoko stared at both of her hands. She had been pressuring the edges of the table with her fingernails while absent from the world, making two deep cuts on both sides. The girl didn't break her nails after all of the nervousness, not that she would mind if she did. Kyoko wasn't exactly vain; with her natural beauty, she did not need to be. Besides, worrying about getting a manicure while in The Program is a clear sign of stupidity.

If Kyoko wasn't immersed in a state of constant worries, then she wouldn't deserve to be called a friend by Asuka and the others. In her own philosophy, not worrying about a friend was the same as continuing to play a broken guitar, instead of fixing. A proof of uninterest, negletfulness and falsehood. Kyoko wasn't like this. She knew that out there, people were dying, and nothing in the world said that Yoriko Shibasaki and Chitose Higurashi weren't among the mass of bodies. Even though Kyoko knew that they probably wouldn't survive unless they were given very good weapons, she prayed for them to be alive and meet her and Asuka during the game. It was the least she could do.

More than anything, though, Kyoko was worried about Asuka. If Asuka came to die, then nothing would alleviate Kyoko's pain. Asuka and Nobuo were the most important people in her world, and the only two that she would give her own life for them to live. Asuka was an angel, always bringing the good in people and playing her violin in absolute perfection. If it wasn't for Asuka, Kyoko wouldn't have come to know many songs, and would not even be able to swim properly. Without Asuka, her time playing the piano after school and even her exams would never be the same. When they were children and played with their dolls at each other's houses, the moment when Asuka's mother told her to leave always brought Kyoko to tears. They were best friends from the start, and would be such until the end.

"_But you know that it's not like that, DON'T YOU_?" yelled Kyoko's subconscious, warning her about the argument earlier.

It was true. Kyoko wanted to believe that Asuka still viewed her as an irreplaceable friend, but upon looking at Asuka's face five hours before, Kyoko could see how wounded she was. When she had lost her virginity to Nobuo, she didn't say it to Asuka, due to fear of ruining their friendship. Asuka had demonstrated some subtle signs that she liked Nobuo, but Kyoko preferred to ignore the problem instead of facing it. During their sleepovers, Asuka always talked about how having sex would feel like to her. And everytime she asked Kyoko if she and Nobuo had already "gone all the way through", out of pure curiosity and some hints of low self0esteem, Kyoko answered that she was saving it for marriage. A silly answer, since she was not a Christian. Asuka, though, seemed to believe in it.

Since they had fought, Asuka had stopped talking to her friend. Sometimes, she still did, but only to order something or in case of extreme necessity. Asuka watched over the window like a silent ghost, not even looking at Kyoko in the eyes. A few hours before, Kyoko had tried to watch over the window before her turn, and was brutally reprimanded by Asuka, who shot her a blood-curling glare. She didn't behave like a friend anymore. And only because she was still a virgin while Kyoko was not. Only because she was also in love with Nobuo.

All of the girls in class who had already lost their virginities, like the deceased Kageri Shouzaku or Tsukiko Amano, constantly talked about how sex was the best thing in life and could make everyone special, superior and better. Kyoko had to disagree. Despite the initial pain, her first time was very good, romantic and passionate at the same time. But after it was over, the pleasure was over as well, because after all, it was temporary. The girl didn't feel like she had gotten "better" than her classmates, or that she had finally "become a woman". If anything, Kyoko still saw herself as a teenager. A slightly experienced one, but still not a woman yet. There was still a long way to go. Perhaps sex was exaggerated, and used as a scapegoat for power and respect in high school. Being a virgin, on the other hand, is a crime and a sign of shame.

"_Girls, boys, people are all the same. They want power, a higher spot on the food chain, and so they humiliate those who are lower than them. They are just animals, who live as such and are unable to care about others. Except for him."_

Time was flying. It was already 15 to 10 pm, but Kyoko had not even started to write the letter. Asuka would have to wait. She was sleeping peacefully, and would probably forgive Kyoko as soon as she woke up. She was just tired, that was it. They were still friends and would need to work together until the end, as Asuka would have to understand. As Kyoko had heard from her father many years before, "time heals everything".

Or wasn't it "time _destroys_ everything"?

Brushing her doubts aside, Kyoko began to focus on the letter once more. And this time, an illumination occurred, and several new ideas flowed into the girl's brain. She could still write a very good letter, and tell Nobuo of everything she was feeling. In order to do so, she would only need to be honest. To write about how The Program was, instead of how she wanted it to be. Sure, she would sound pessimistic, but at the situation she was into, Kyoko could not care less.

"_Besides"_ Thought Kyoko, hopeful. _"He loves me, I know he does. He will understand what I have to say."_

Bringing her porcelain-skinned right arm forwards, Kyoko went for the blue pen and grabbed it. Her long fingernails produced a croaking sound upon contacting the object. As she begun to write, Kyoko remembered all of the good moments they had spent together, all the kisses and smiles they had experienced, and it wasn't long before the girl's eyes began to tear up. The emotion was too much for her to handle, growing and growing by each line, each small sentence written in blue ink. Still, Kyoko kept writing, talking about hope and despair, love and death, loneliness and company. Her tears began to fall on the table in a hush, before she could stop them. After she was done putting out all of her feelings, Kyoko read the letter again. And again. And again. When she was finally done, there were still ten minutes until the clock reached 10 pm. She had written a beautiful letter in only five minutes.

"_Perfect. It's perfect." _

With a smile beginning to shine through her lips, Kyoko closed the letter to her love. Then she put it in an envelope that she had found inside of the small drawer.

The beautiful girl wiped away her tears, and then put the letter in the pocket of her skirt. Everything would be alright, and she knew it.

* * *

><p>Asuka wasn't asleep.<p>

Initially, she had tried to, but the cauldron of emotions that consumed her body forced her to stay awake. Kyoko was the center of her attention, the cause and consequence of what consumed her, and she couldn't lose the battle against a simple instinctual urge like sleeping. Asuka had to stay awake for Kyoko, the best friend she once loved but now hated so much.

While listening to Kyoko's tears while lying on the bed, Asuka almost made a cheap, small smile. It seemed that Kyoko was suffering. Maybe she was thinking about asking for Asuka's forgiveness after what she did. But considering that Kyoko was a bitch, she would probably not. She would stay with Nobuo until the end, even though she knew that her best friend dreamt about him every night. She didn't really care about Asuka either, since before Asuka came to know of her loss of virginity, already in The Program, all of Kyoko's other friends could say the details of it out loud. Why was it so hard to say the truth? It would be easy, she would just have to say "yes, we are fucking, and so I would get laid as soon as possible if I were you", and then she wouldn't be asked about it anymore.

Perhaps, Kyoko was too much of a coward to be true to Asuka at all times, without fearing the consequences. Or maybe Kyoko was just using her, and they had never been real friends. Deep inside, Asuka didn't want to believe that her oldest and biggest friend didn't view her as such. But just like love, friendship is also unrequited sometimes.

"_She's more popular than me. Popular girls always do that; they use someone who's socially below them as their scapegoats in case they get into trouble. They use them to increase their already large number of friends, and nothing more. Just like my sisters, just like my mother."_

Asuka didn't want to believe in that. Kyoko always seemed so beautiful and pure, but since they had argued earlier, their friendship was falling apart at the speed of light. How could Kyoko tell her such a cheap excuse, like "I didn't want to hurt you"? Was she stupid or something? Asuka did not understand.

After a while, Asuka began to take quick glances at Kyoko, who was clearly writing something. In a moment of growing curiosity, Asuka turned around and saw that it was a letter. Probably for him. Clearly, their conversation earlier meant nothing to Kyoko. She could at least be loyal enough so as not to talk about Asuka's crush, much less to write it to someone else. But not even this was considered by Kyoko.

"_She's mocking me right now..."_ Thought the lonely, single girl. Asuka did not see any reason for Kyoko to write a letter. It would never reach its destination, unless she won The Program. And since Kyoko was just not the type of person who kills, she would most likely not survive to give her letter to Nobuo. Well, Asuka didn't have many chances as well, but it was another story, right?

Asuka wanted to cry at the unfairness of it all, but her tears would warn Kyoko that she was awake. And so the girl remained in silence, with both of her hands slowly turning into closed fists and her heart breaking with each of Kyoko's sobs. Kyoko did not deserve him. She wasn't a real friend, and had lied to THE PERSON WHO LOVED HER THE MOST for several weeks. Of course, Asuka could read Kyoko's face everytime she said no, and her lies were as clear as polished silver. This was why she asked Kyoko again earlier on that same day, as soon as she had the opportunity.

In her heart, Asuka knew that it was all her fault, since she had never professed her love for Nobuo before Kyoko could do it. She was shy and stupid, and was now paying the price.

However, she was in The Program. Some blood would be spilled, and her hands would get dirty, but she could still solve the problem.

With her bond with Kyoko deteriorating on every passing hour, Asuka had previously grabbed her pistol several times and threatened to shoot Kyoko in the back, while she wasn't looking. She never pulled the trigger, though. Something was always holding her back, paralyzing her hands before she could do it. It was weakness, a moment of hesitation that she would have to elimina—

The Glock was hidden between the bed and the wall the whole time, only a few inches away of Asuka's left hand. Kyoko had left it there.

Asuka lunged for the gun. As she did it, her thoughts came back to her family. They were probably rooting for Kyoko to win, especially her mother. She had favored Asuka's sisters over her for years, so it wasn't a surprise that she would be on her best friend's side. Asuka's hand got closer to the weapon. By killing Kyoko, blasting her head into and brain tiny pieces, she would take revenge not only on the girl she loved as a sister, but on her mother as well. And then Nobuo would be hers, as soon as she got out of there.

Asuka's hand got hold of the pistol. It was a cold object, lifeless. It's shiny barrel projected a shadow on the wall, large and terrfying, almost like a ghost. It's power was destructive, inhumane. However, it could lead Asuka to victory rather easily, unless there were better weapons out there. The girl twisted her hand around the gun's handle slowly, so as not to call Kyoko's attention. After a while, she could feel it's surface entirely. Power ran through her veins, pushing her forward, forcing her to do what she should have done a year before, when Kyoko told her that she was dating Nobuo.

The hesitation came back. The arm went backwards. The gun remained there, unmovable. Asuka's eyes turned wet.

She wasn't ready yet.

* * *

><p>AUTHOR'S NOTES<p>

In the beginning of this story, all of my attention was focused on Asuka and Kyoko. They were the most important pair, would certainly last a very long time, and were an enviously close group of friends for life.

But life separates people, sets them apart, and creates conflicts. And The Program intensifies them. I don't believe that the kids who kill each other in Battle Royale do so only because they want to win. They already had a reason to do so, unless they were born complete psychopaths. The two characters who seem to be more affected by the game, clearly descending into the depths of madness, are Asuka and Kagura. Why? Because they already had deep grudges, scars and fears before the game.

Aya is also a very interesting character. I regret picturing her as a "pure evil" Christian fanatic. I wanted to soften her in this chapter, and also give her a specific reason to play the game. I loved describing her scene in the swing, especially.

I'm deeply sorry for taking so long to post another chapter. I suffered from severe writer's block, and a general lack of attention that I promise will not repeat itself. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, writing it was a tough job but it's the final project that counts.

Yoriko and Chitose will come back next chapter, so to all of their fans, rejoice!

With that, I am out.

Bye!


	21. Heart and Soul

**Chapter 21**

Was she watching too many rom-coms?

Certainly, t was the only possible explanation for what she was seeing. The place that surrounded the girl was so beautiful and colorful that it bordered on artificially. It wasn't from the mortal world. Nothing could be so breathtaking and genuinely tasty as that garden.

There, every single flower, leaf or root seemed to produce a special glow of its own. The many colors and species of flowers were full of life, every one of the roses, tulips, violets, daisies and lilies. It was impossible to pick the most beautiful one, because all of them were equally mesmerizing. Except for their artificiality and fake looks, they were all perfect.

At the center of the garden, inside of a circle created by a ring of bright green grass and red roses that blossomed around it, the girl stood nervously. And in front of her, there was the most amazing thing that garden could offer. It wasn't another flower, but a man. He wasn't a student, and his unshaved beard and mature looks only confirmed this. His body seemed to exhale power and virility, perfectly capable of taking the girl to the moon and back, while massaging her body as she moaned his name in pleasure. His beauty, though, was as artificial as the flowers around him. Otherwordly. Unreal. Unattainable.

The man and the girl talked for a while, words that she would soon forget because she wasn't paying any attention to them. Only he mattered. And before the girl could know the reason why it happened, they were kissing. Her eyes were closed, her breath turned deep and lovely, and her lips became one with his. She could feel his tongue inside of her mouth, his breath on her face, and suddenly she came to know that, in her entire life, she had never felt better.

It was too good to be true. And it was a dream.

Suddenly, the man disappeared. The garden was gone, replaced by darkness of closed eyelids and the icy feeling of coming back to reality. The girl could move her numb members again, and open her eyes to see the bedroom that surrounded her. Chitose Higurashi would give anything to come back to that sweet dream.

The world surrounding her was what she wanted to escape from. The Program, Miki getting killed, Kumiko attacking her and Yoriko, the loss of her hand… those were all abnormalities in a life that was good before The Program started. Chitose was still hurt inside, and the physical and psychological pain from the blood loss remained strong, blurring and numbing her senses. Still, the girl woke up. And after waking up, Chitose rarely managed to sleep again. She was a very light sleeper, and for once, the numbness came like a blessing. Even though she could die at any moment, she had managed to sleep quietly.

For a while, everything Chitose could see was the tall ceiling, which for her was even higher than normal, due to her small body. When she was younger, the girl sometimes told her mother that if she jumped higher enough, she would be able to reach the sky with her hand. But Chitose wasn't tall or powerful enough to even reach the top of the bed she was lying at. Dreams never come true.

Except for that one. The one the girl had experienced only a few seconds ago. It was something that came t-

"Chitose! Oh my dear, Chitose! You are awake! Thank the gods!"

All of a sudden, Yoriko Shibasaki's arms got hold of Chitose, and the smaller girl was trapped in a tight and strong bear hug. The pressure crushed her back, and her chest was uncomfortably heavy, but the feeling was warm and pleasurable. Once more, Yoriko could not control her own strength, crafted by years of track, volleyball and many other sports. Maybe this was why Chitose adored her so much. Yoriko was a bit brusque and euphoric, in more ways than one, but it was all a consequence of her heart of gold.

Chitose asked her to stop, and Yoriko did as such. She sat on a small and wooden chair next to the bed. Chitose was feeling much better than before she slept, and now had a question to ask.

"Ah girl, sleeping on this bed was so good that I don't even want to leave this house again." Said Chitose, with a wide smile on her thin lips. "I mean, how long do you think we should stay here?"

"I…I don't know." Yoriko was caught by surprise. She had not thought about it yet. "They did not mention anything like a time limit in this game. It will last until only one is alive, no matter how long it takes. So yeah, I think we'll stay in this place as much as we can." Yoriko's confused expression quickly morphed into a false smile. She didn't want to talk about The Program anymore, but it had already become all of her life.

Chitose analyzed her friend's face. Although Yoriko pretended that everything was OK, the small girl could see that she wasn't looking at her in the eyes. Instead, Yoriko's face was moving downwards, staring at Chitose's chest and left arm, and finally landing on her destroyed hand. The small girl also looked at the forbidden place, and soon she became as bitter as Yoriko.

"It's not your fault." Whispered Chitose, attempting to console her friend. "It's the same as when you killed that bitch. I didn't lose my hand because of something you did wrong. And I'm better now. It still hurts, but not as much." Yoriko's mouth was half open, not knowing what to answer. "Stop looking at my hand, worrying if I'll make it to the next hour. I'm the tough one here, remember? I can take care of myself."

Chitose felt like a weight had been lifted from her chest. In her group of friends, the power dynamics were interesting at best. They were composed by the popular and gorgeous Kyoko Tachibana, the loyal sidekick Asuka Yamanaka, the gentle giant Yoriko, and finally her, the weak and girly midget.

At least it was what others thought.

"No, Chitose, you are not." Yoriko answered, and her face darkened.

"Listen to me. If it wasn't for me, you would be dead by now. So try to valorize your life more, OK? I can't keep saving your ass forever." Yoriko was as angry as a mother who had just found out that her son had stolen something. "Did you hear me?" she yelled.

Chitose was shocked. She had never seen Yoriko yell at her that way. Usually, what happened was the opposite, with Chitose giving orders to her friend to the point of some other girls laughing at them in the hallways, before receiving Chitose's angry, blood-curling stare. That was a new feeling, the feeling of being under someone else's wings, and completely dependable on them. Finally, and after so long, Yoriko had accepted the role society had given to her, due to her size and physical strength.

But Chitose didn't want to make Yoriko angry. She was the powerless one now, and would have to play by her friend's rules, whether she liked them or not.

"I'm sorry, Yoriko." Although many people would not believe in her, the small girl actually meant what she was saying. "I just went overboard. That's it." It wasn't just the power dynamics. Chitose loved Yoriko as well. They had spent their entire childhoods together, even if pretty much everything in their interests and looks contributed to set them apart. They didn't have the same afterschool activities. They didn't have the same interest in boys. But opposites attract each other, and Chitose had learned it the moment when she met Yoriko.

However, no matter how much she cared for her, Chitose would never love Yoriko more than as a friend.

"_Why the hell am I thinking about this?_" And then she was interrupted.

"You know, if you didn't get so…. Moody at times, I don't think I would still be your friend." From behind the tears, Yoriko was smiling.

"Why?"

"You would be pretty boring that way."

Chitose began to laugh, for an instant almost forgetting of the high infection risk she still had. Yoriko had a very open way to deal with things. If she thought something, she would say it out loud. Sure, sometimes she said a lot of bullshit, and the two best friends had already gotten into trouble more than once because of this. But during her entire life, Chitose had never seen her friend keep a secret. And therefore, it was very hard to notice if Yoriko was doing that.

"OK. I just got an idea." Thomas Edison had invented the lamp, and then put it into a time machine. It had suddenly arrived, right above Chitose's head.

"Which one? You'll get up and begin dancing until you fall dead and I have to clean up the mess?" Answered Yoriko. When Chitose wasn't talking about the 100 boys she had a crush on, or trying to meticulously correct Yoriko's behavior and choice of clothes, she had her so called "ideas". And oftentimes, they involved doing something really stupid, but ultimately fun.

"No, we are about to die anyway, in 24 hours at best, what about revealing our secrets to each other?"

"You know that I don't have any, girl."

"Well, not in this way." The smaller girl's face was almost seductive, slowly licking her lower lip and making a funny, almost foxy look with her eyes. "We'll just ask each other questions, and answer then with the truth. There'll be a lot of stuff I don't want to talk about, but hey, the secrets always come out when you're about to die, or when you are drunk."

"Why not we just get drunk them? I found some beer in the fridge. It'll make a good start."

"I'm on it." Chitose had never drunk a lot in her life. Being fourteen, of course she had tried it on during parties, and sometimes she casually drank from some bottles her alcoholic father had. Thankfully, he wasn't the "aggressive" type when drunk, but the "sleepy" one instead. He was a good father, intelligent and strong, just a little distant sometimes. While Chitose got ready for school every day, prepared by her mom, her dad was casually sleeping next door, since his work as a store clerk only led him out of bed at 8 am.

Chitose didn't see anything but the ceiling and some of the old furniture of the room, until Yoriko came back with two cans of beer. Smiling at each other, the two girls stared excitedly at the cans, while Yoriko opened both of them with noisy pops, and gave one for Chitose to drink. It didn't take long for the two girls to feel the hot, burbling alcohol entering their throats and stomachs, and by the third round of cans they were so disconnected from the outside world that, if someone began shooting the door, they wouldn't notice it until it was already too late.

"OK, so I'll begin." Chitose's throat emitted a wet sound, filled with gas, as she asked the first question.

"Sooooo, before we had to come into this fucking game, and started to kill each other…." She made a small pause before continuing. "Did you have a crush on anyone?"

"No." Yoriko was fighting against the effects of the alcohol. If she suddenly let the truth slip through her lips, Chitose would take it very, very seriously.

"What? Come on. This is not true." The small girl laughed again. "Yori-chan, you are fucking fourteen now. Did you hear me? Freakin' fourteen. At this age, you've got to be dating, or at least having a small crush on someone!" If there was one thing that Chitose would never understand in Yoriko, it was her lack of interest in the opposite sex. As far as Chitose knew it, Yoriko had only been kissed once, because Chitose asked a boy from another school to hook up with her friend during a party. The kiss on itself was fast; it lasted for maybe five seconds. And after they got back to Chitose's house for a sleepover, Yoriko commented that his lips felt "disgusting".

That was another enigma. Among the girls in their class, Yoriko had always been one of the most outgoing ones. But upon seeing a boy, she suddenly turned extremely shy. A bad past experience, perhaps?

"Honestly, I think I'm weird." Answered Yoriko, staring at the floor. "I never felt really that need of getting it on with a guy, if you know what I mean."

"You know, Yoriko, pass me the phone, please."

"Why? You know it does not work."

"What a shame. I need to call the school as soon as possible. They need to know that a contestant in this game is mentally unhealthy, and so needs a psychiatrist fast, as well as the exit from this The Program."

And suddenly, both of them were laughing together, with their eyes closed, until a few tears came out from both girls' eyes. It was a magical moment, simply so… happy. It was just like before they had been attacked by Kumiko. After a hurricane comes a rainbow, after all. Until another hurricane comes, much stronger than the first one.

"It won't work." Answered Yoriko, casually wiping away one of her tears in the corner of her eyes. "Those fuckers like insane people, they bring the ratings upwards."

"Well…" Chitose replied, "I don't think the same goes to two virgins like us."

That was the thing Chitose thought about constantly. Sex, man, boys, and anything in between. Unlike Yoriko, she was boy-crazy, and had hooked up with a few boys at parties, after making the first move _herself_. Chitose knew that she was attractive, but with her undeveloped breasts and child-like looks, no boy would see her more than a little sister. The girl did not have the reputation of being a whore, like Kumiko Noma or Tsukiko Amano certainly earned and deserved. However, every time Chitose came into a conversation with her friends after school, it was certain that she would, at least, comment how cute that boy at the intersection looked. It wasn't something to fit in better with her classmates. It was just the way she was.

Yoriko remained quiet, almost frozen. Her brain was turning into mush while desperately searching for an answer, something that would not offend Chitose _and_ also hide what she was really thinking. Meanwhile, Chitose wondered if Yoriko's hesitation to answer her question was due to pure shyness in something she did not know much of, or actually a secret being kept hidden.

Yoriko took another gulp from the beer, and answered quietly.

"I don't think it's that important to lose it this early."Although she respected her friend, Chitose began to say several words of sarcasm, partially due to the effects of the alcohol in her body.

"Come on, Yoriko! You know that it's important! I'm pretty sure that half of the girls in our class already did it, and the other half would soon get laid by the next year, if we weren't caught in a Program! Do you want to be the last one, huh? The one who does not have any experiences to share? It truly, sucks, and you know it." After she stopped giggling for a while, Chitose continued: "So, on to the second question: how would your ideal first time be like?"

"Well…." Yoriko began to blush again. "I think it would be in a very romantic way, with roses all around the bed, some candlelight, in my house or in a motel… I wouldn't like it to be in a party. And more importantly, with a nice guy." The tall girl carefully changed the last word. Thankfully, she wasn't drunk enough… yet.

"Mine would be in a car, and with an older man."

"In a car? Why? I mean, it's very tight, you can get caught…"

"Well, the fear is part of the fun. And I know the guy would protect me if something happened." In 3A, there wasn't a single girl who did not know about Chitose's obvious fetish for older men. However, there was something only Chitose knew about: her secret date with Mr. Ono.

Mr. Ono was the Japanese teacher. It wasn't Chitose's favorite subject by far, but the presence of was enough to keep her from spacing out. He was younger than the average teacher, on his mid twenties to early thirties, and most of all, he was handsome. Tanned skin, muscular body, and spiky hair: everything Chitose liked in a man. During the first two months of the school year, many giggling teenage girls playfully flirted with him in class, and made open their opinions that they were more than willing to date him. Until the day he revealed that he already had a girlfriend. Most girls stopped commenting on his looks after that day, and burieMr. Onod their dreams ten feet under the earth. Chitose wasn't one of them.

On a very special day, Mr. Ono told Chitose to write something in the blackboard during class. It was the first time she had been less than a meter away from him. It was hard to focus on the exercise, but eventually she did the job. Later on that day, she visited the teacher's room, saying that she had a question about the Japanese language. As they talked, their conversation soon turned into many other topics, and before they knew it, the teacher and the small girl were leaving the school to eat ice cream together, during break time. After tasting the delicious dessert he had paid for her and himself, Mr. Ono leaned down and kissed Chitose softly in the lips. The girl already knew that he would do that. She saw the fire burning in his eyes, the flames of desire glowing in them. What she didn't expect was what he said afterwards.

"I'm sorry. I like you, but I already have a woman waiting for me at home."

After that, they resumed eating their food in awkward silence. Then they went back to school, and the only words they said to each other were "see you later".

Chitose admired that he still had some morals, but still, she regretted that experience. Sure, she had gotten something out of it, but it wasn't enough for her. Maybe that was why her dream with him, the product of her subconscious, still haunted her to the present day.

Yoriko spoke again.

"OK. Now call your "ideal man" right now, and tell him to come here to save us, while avoiding dozens of bullets. Tell him this, and I hope he doesn't find our corpses when he finally arrives, for God's sake!" Once again, Yoriko had gone ballistic on her friend, apparently for no reason at all. Chitose tried to reply, but she was too tired and drunk. In a moment, she thought she would go back to sleep, and that would be a good thing. Sleeping is better than being awake to think about the many ways you might bite the dust at the end of The Program.

Chitose closed her eyes. She did not want to listen to Yoriko anymore.

The pain started.

The amputation on her left arm began to hurt again, bearably, but also quickly spreading. Chitose moaned a little as the pain reached the entire wound. She couldn't move her arm anymore, it had gone totally numb. She tried shaking it, but only a little movement happened. Yoriko noticed it.

"Chitose, are you alright?" Her face was filled with worry.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just a discomfort. Maybe I left my lost hand in the same place for a very long time. It's nothing serious. I'll get over it." The pain kept Chitose awake. Maybe it was a bad reaction from the still healing area to the alcohol in her veins, but it did not matter. She began to trash around in the bed, struggling to get up. Finally, she did, helped by Yoriko, and managed to sit on the bed.

She wanted a shower. Better, a hot one. It was the only thing that could evaporate that horrible sensation.

"I'm showering now, Yori-chan."

"Like this, all of a sudden? I think that what you need is even more rest."

"…Yeah. I just feel in the mood for it." Although Yoriko sometimes got angry at her friend, she never came to dominate her. Chitose was independent and a mistress of her own will. And so the small girl slowly left the bed, stumbling, painting, disoriented. After a few steps towards the bathroom, she stumbled and almost fell. Yoriko offered help once more, and received Chitose's rejection in response. Although her body felt rigid and disjointed, the small girl needed some time for herself.

"It will be quick. I'll come back soon." Yoriko could see that Chitose's eyes were tired and sleepy.

Ignoring the intense and strange feeling of discomfort, which felt like several ants crawling underneath her skin, Chitose got in the small bathroom, clearly made for only one person, and began to undress. Pedophiles would be delighted, but horny teenagers would turn their heads away from the sight of Chitose's naked body. The girl certainly was beautiful, with milky white skin and a thin figure, but her lack of curves and short stature almost made her look like a dwarf. Chitose was pretty comfortable with the way she looked like, although it was certain that she had a tremendous disadvantage in every single sport she tried playing. She wasn't made for it. The opposite of Yoriko.

"_She's creeping me out now."_

Being boy crazy, Chitose was very good at the interpretation of subtle signals that indicated interest. Only by looking at a boy's eyes and talking to him, the girl already knew if he would correspond her or not. She could feel the flame in his eyes, the nervousness on his breath, and most of all, the large, confident smile. The smile was the most important part, and the first thing Chitose looked at in a guy. If she had to choose between a confident ugly guy, and an insecure and boring handsome one, she would go for the former.

Although her entire body, mind and beliefs told Chitose that she was just seeing things due to the alcohol and the numbness that continued to spread on her body, something in her couldn't stop saying that Yoriko had looked at her _that way_ less than a minute before. She didn't feel safe there, after looking at Yoriko's eyes. Probably, she would forget about them as soon as she left the shower, but Yoriko's luscious stare wasn't something to be completely ignored.

Chitose's hands began to tremble as she reached for the shower. Her body felt cold and rigid. She wasn't a fan of hot showers because they damaged her skin, but it was time to make an exception.

The girl turned on the tap. Water began flowing over her head and pale body. The warm temperature was supposed to give her a sense of peace and protection, which did not happen. Chitose felt dizzier than ever, her body still trembling as her mind began to leave her body. The girl had slept in classes too much to not realize that she was spacing out.

_"Stay focused, damnit! It's just some water, nothing more!"_ Chitose began moving her feet and arms vigorously, trying to shake that bad feeling away. She twisted and turned around on the hot marble on the floor, to a point when she could have been confused with an erotic dancer. Maybe it was the temperature, but suddenly Chitose's arms and legs began to also feel hotter, like in a fever. It soon took over her head and the rest of her body. Heat, disorientation and weakness were everything the small girl was able to feel.

Chitose looked at her left hand one more time. It was red with the water. Her body began to topple sideways as she lost consciousness.

The ceiling was replaced by blackness.

* * *

><p>Irony is one of the most powerful forces in the universe.<p>

The intelligent people manage to notice it, and so are immune from it. The dumb ones are not. They cannot understand it, and so they attack ironic speeches and speakers, only to be defeated by them.

Yoriko Shibasaki certainly belonged to the first category. She was smart to understand irony, and even smarter to laugh at it sometimes. Since the moment she entered The Program, until the time when Chitose went to the bathroom in a hurry, there was a specific case of irony that annoyed her constantly. However, she couldn't even giggle at this thought, and much less find it to be funny. Strange thing, since it was something extremely simple.

The irony that she was one of the students who were most likely to win The Program.

Superficially, the tall girl had it all; she was much stronger than the average female, able to lift up to five bags in a supermarket and having a better time than her classmates in gym class. She also knew how to win a fight, since the sports she did at school gave her good reflexes and agility. Her father, being a doctor, had taught his daughter a lot about how to treat her own wounds, which would certainly make her victory much harder in case of infection and severe wounding. And finally, she was smart enough. Not a goddess of wisdom, but decently intelligent.

All of these qualities, though, were nullified by a single defect.

Simply put, she didn't have the guts to kill.

Yoriko liked the term "gentle giant". As a child, she had read a few novels with characters like this, and always wondered in her developing brain if it was possible for this personality to exist in real life. The girl didn't believe in it much. From several examples she had seen, like the Japanese dictator or male bullies from elementary schools, Yoriko had the firm belief that the ones who are stronger and more powerful will ALWAYS want to destroy the weaker ones, because they were evil. And stupid.

Out of all of these "evil people", the one the girl hated the most was herself.

Yoriko had always been big, even before the beginning of puberty. When she was seven, she had the height of a ten year old. Adults gasped when she said she was still in elementary school, and other children constantly got away when she wanted to play with them, as if they were somehow scared of her. Sometimes, the tall girl felt the need to actually use her strength. To take revenge on those midgets who excluded her. It would be easy, she would just have to push them and the fight would be over quickly. But Yoriko was too nice for it. She wasn't aggressive and never cursed back on anyone. Slowly, though, all of the bad childhood experiences began to accumulate inside of her, and suddenly there were days when she wanted to just beat the crap out of every single girl of her age she could find.

Until the day when she met Chitose.

If her secret crush walked in a Japanese subway station, in the middle of thousands of people, Yoriko would easily set her apart from the crowd. Chitose's face was special: serene, illuminated, beautiful. For Yoriko, her friend had been sculpted by angels. No, not that. She pure and simply was an angel herself.

This angel came to earth to become Yoriko's first real friend, on a sunny day when the two sat together at a tea party and began talking about dolls and what they did in their past times. Unlike the other girls, Chitose wasn't intimidated by Yoriko's size. Rather, she viewed it as something interesting, making her new friend someone special in her eyes. And like every other child in the world, Yoriko loved to feel special, even if it wasn't true.

As the years went by, their friendship got stronger and stronger. After insistent pleads to their parents, both girls began to attend the same school, and luckily ended up in the same class. Living only a couple of blocks away from each other, the time they spent together every day was often longer than the one that was reserved for their parents. During most of middle school, Yoriko viewed Chitose as her best friend for life. When the two got old and tired of life, they would sit together in a picnic and play chess, gossiping about their diseases, grandchildren and operations. The tall girl thought that their fate was to be like this forever. Eternal companions, but just that.

One day, _it_ happened.

The first time Yoriko felt a sexual attraction for her best friend was during a party in the previous year. As usual, Chitose spent a lot of time in makeup and clothes, in order to make herself even more breathtakingly beautiful than she already was. And also as usual, she took Yoriko home to help her. The two of them spent an entire afternoon in Chitose's bedroom, giggling and talking about how Chitose's hair looked, or which boys they considered the most attractive.

Then Yoriko looked at Chitose's lipstick filled mouth, while she was putting it on her lips. And all of a sudden, she felt the sudden urge to kiss it.

The party was never the same after that. While Chitose danced and had fun, Yoriko spent hours sitting in one of the tables, with the excuse of suffering from a headache. In reality, she was deciding if what she felt for her friend at that precise moment was a dream, a delusion, or just a temporary effect of her period. When the party was almost over, Yoriko looked around. And saw Chitose kissing a boy she didn't even know the name, in one of the sofas.

Another emotion took hold of her. Anger.

Yoriko left the party shortly afterwards. She didn't wait for her "friend", like she said she would. The tall girl simply got a taxi and went back home, spending hours in the night crying over what she had become. She knew that no one would give her a chance, but she couldn't shake that horrible feeling from her subconscious. The feeling that Chitose would one day love her back, and then they would spend their last years playing chess not in a park, but in the same house.

In the Program, many months later, the attraction still remained in Yoriko, stronger than ever. And the girl couldn't stop looking at herself in the only mirror in that house, wondering if she was pretty enough to call Chitose's attention.

The sporty girl was certainly not as beautiful as Kumiko Noma or Kyoko Tachibana. Even Sachiko Kirihara, the class representative, was several notches above her in that aspect. However, Yoriko wasn't ugly either. Sometimes she felt like her eyes were too big for her face, but this was the only pet peeve she had with herself. Overall, she liked her tall and muscular body, and seeing her face every day at the mirror brought her more joy than sadness. The only thing she would want to change was her hair, a mess of shoulder length black stripes that were hard to take care of. Yoriko had thought about cutting it up to a boy's level, but Chitose stopped her; according to the small girl, Yoriko looked much better if she respected her feminine features. For the tall girl, Chitose's voice was the voice of God, and she would never go against it.

Still, her looks weren't enough. They didn't make Chitose fall for her, and would never do unless she openly revealed her feelings.

"_Shame I'm too much of a coward for that."_

Telling Chitose she loved her as a girl. This terrified Yoriko. She had never been shy, except when it came to the opposite sex. Probably, because she was never really interested in boys in the first place. But girls were no different. Yoriko had never fallen for another girl before Chitose. In fact, before that dreadful day, Yoriko had once wondered if she was asexual.

Living as a lesbian was even worse. In the conservative Republic of East Asia, homosexuality was a crime that resulted in incarceration if discovered, and death if practiced a second time. There were some gay bars and clubs, but they were illegal and often dangerous places, ruled by Yakuza lords and dedicated to prostitution. In other words, homosexuals could never live peacefully. There was a channel on TV dedicated to their mass executions, and the tall girl had once watched a gay man being shot in the head by a soldier. Yoriko got horrified, but her parents were clapping and saying that it was the right thing. After she began feeling for Chitose, Yoriko never saw that channel again.

Strangely enough, the girl wasn't worried about what her parents would think. It wasn't important. Yoriko was now in The Program, and was very likely to die in the next 24 hours. Mom and dad would never know, and even if their daughter came out in front of the cameras, she would die shortly afterwards and so they wouldn't be able to beat her. Yoriko knew how much her parents loved her, but her mother had once said that, if Yoriko got selected for The Program and won, she wouldn't be accepted back home. According to Mrs. Shibasaki, "A killer and a normal person should never share the same ceiling."

"_Yeah, but first I need to tell HER before I DIE."_

Suddenly, the shower was turned on, and the noise quickly reached the room where Yoriko was standing at. As Chitose began to shower, her friend's heart began beating faster.

Girls are not supposed to think about sex all the time, and Yoriko certainly did not. However, a combination of curiosity and desire made her think about one thing every day.

How would Chitose look like naked?

Feeling like a teenage boy who's beginning to explore his sexuality, Yoriko tried to stop her own lust. It was useless. Her body was in control now, suddenly making her stand up from the chair she sat at. At that moment, Yoriko realized that the Battle Royale had made her go insane, but there was no turning back. Her eyes were fixed on Chitose's figure behind the door boards of the bathroom, which revealed the shower. The figure got closer and closer as the tall girl walked towards the door, until…

Yoriko could neatly see the girl she loved, fully naked, showering behind the bars.

She didn't think of anything. In a moment, her right hand went down and reached the inside of her skirt.

As Chitose kept showering, moving quite strangely as if dancing, Yoriko's fingers began to move insanely as she touched herself. Yoriko felt disgusting and dirty by doing that, but she couldn't stop. Her eyes did not even blink, and only the images of pleasure that came to her brain were enough to keep her into the act of madness she was practicing.

Yoriko's fingers moved faster and faster. Her body was overtaken by heat, and every single pore of her skin told her to keep moving, that the pleasure was too big to be abandoned halfway. The girl did as she was told, and after a while she was already moaning. Part of her hoped that Chitose wouldn't hear it, but the other part wanted it to happen.

Yoriko was about to have an orgasm for the first time in her life. And it felt great.

Until Chitose fell.

From behind the bars of the door, Yoriko couldn't see much of the fall. It happened too quickly. Chitose's white body hit the floor with a large thud, like the explosion of a firecracker. Her face was obscured by her long hair, but after many seconds, it was clear that she was not going to rise up again. Upon realizing this fact, Yoriko's neck began to drip sweat. Her hands immediately left her skirt, more worried about saving Chitose than exploring her sexuality.

"Oh my God, oh my God!" Yelled the repressed lesbian as she opened the white door and ran inside. Chitose had fallen in the shower stall, not moving an inch. Her skin was much paler than usual, and her feet were already red from the hot water. Her full frontal nudity was totally visible, but Yoriko wasn't worried about it anymore. Her friend's life came first. And so, after turning off the hot water that managed to make her uniform wet, Yoriko grabbed Chitose's body and carried her out of the bathroom, and to the bed.

"Come on, girl, wake up!" Yoriko shook the smaller girl's body uncontrollably, but did not get any response from her. For a moment, Yoriko thought that she was dead, and so her life was almost shattered. Fortunately, the tall girl noticed that Chitose was still breathing, and had a pulse. However, her sudden fainting and pale color left Yoriko no doubt: Chitose had suffered from low blood pressure.

"_Stupid, stupid, you idiot girl; instead of helping her, you were more busy jerking off. She could have died and it would be my fault!"_

Despite the knowledge that Chitose was still alive, Yoriko was still worried. The girl of her dreams could still die at any time if not taken care of properly.

There was no time to lose. The first thing Yoriko did was bringing a white towel from the bathroom and placing it over Chitose's nudity. The "blanket" not would not only keep the girl warm, but also drive Yoriko's gaze and attention away from her body. Everything that she needed.

Chitose's hands and wrists were still cold, but slowly increasing in temperature. As the seconds passed by, the girl's face began changing color again, until it reached a tone that could be considered normal. A large smile came to Yoriko's face. She did not need to be worried anymore. Her friend was going to live, and with enough luck, wake up soon.

Yoriko didn't believe in any type of God, but in that short lapse of time, she thanked Him, Her or It anyway.

Until her eyes saw something that was dangling from a closet.

It was a white piece of clothing, which certainly had belonged to the family who lived there. A dress. And as the tall girl stood up and walked towards it, she could see that it a wedding one. A bright symbol of love, filled with artificial white flowers on the skirt and two more on the shoulders.

"It's beautiful…"

Yoriko could stand there forever if she had the time and the luck. As a child, she had constantly told her parents what her ideal husband would be like. That he would be tall, handsome, loving, intelligent and educated. Upon hearing it, her parents always clapped their hands, proud of their daughter's right choices in men. Yoriko had forgotten to tell them of the husband's gender.

Yoriko began crying again. It would probably be the last time she would see a wedding dress in her life. And she would also never marry, either with a boy or a girl. If she won, she would have to kill Chitose first. And Yoriko would rather kill herself than destroy her love.

She could only wonder one thing. If two women marry each other, which one has to wear the dress? Only one, both, or none of them? Yoriko wouldn't feel very comfortable in a man's suit, but she would be happy and delighted upon seeing Chitose's supernatural beauty when she arrived at the church, with drops of moonlight falling from her face.

"Yori-chan…" Chitose had woken up. Her voice was weak and low, as if she was struggling to say every single word. She was still half-unconscious, on the waking side much like an alien would be on planet Earth. But Yoriko wasn't going to wait for Chitose to recover completely. No, it wasn't her intention to reveal her feelings yet, but she needed to know something that was still suspicious.

She needed to know why Chitose decided to leave her.

"Chitose, what happened? You fell all of a sudden! I thought you were dead! Thank the gods you are awake!" Yoriko wanted to hug Chitose's body, but she was smart enough to realize that her weight could make Chitose's condition even worse. Every single move was risky, one false step and then her friend could be gone. And so Yoriko decided to simply hold Chitose's hand as tight as possible, in a completely non-sexual style but also emotionally close. Every second she spent with her grip on the small girl's fingers, which were much smaller and tinier than her own, Yoriko reminded herself of how much she was lucky to actually have someone to care about in the world. She knew what true loneliness was like until the day she and Chitose met. It was hell.

Chitose began to speak again, her once bluish lips starting to gain more color and slowly turning reddish. Clearly, the attack was weak. She was recovering much faster than Yoriko had expected her to. Maybe Chitose had a chance of winning The Program in the end. Even if a girl who was in love with her would have to kill herself for it.

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't be." And then Yoriko remembered her own regret after killing Miki. It was the same situation being repeated again; only with different roles. The universe is ironic.

" Yori-chan… I understand that you care about me, but nothing you do will be worth it if I can't take care of myself." Chitose swallowed her saliva and continued. "I shouldn't have gotten drunk while I'm here, defenseless. Much less taken a shower afterwards."

"Then why did you do that!" Yoriko controlled her voice tone at the end of the sentence. Her sudden outbursts of aggression were coming back. "If you knew something like this could happen, or even worse, then why you couldn't just stop and think!"

"To tell you the truth, Yori…" Chitose's eyes went upwards for a moment, and then came back to their original position. "I didn't want to listen to you."

Yoriko's mouth opened in shock, and her jaw dropped. She was expecting for many different answers, but not this one. Where had the old friendship gone?

"I can explain. Don't worry, it's not about you, just me." Chitose's face was unreadable. It was hard to know if she was saying the truth or lying. Yoriko wasn't good at interpretation of subtle signals, so she believed in every single one of the words that came afterwards. "I thought I was better than you. You know, I have a pretty big ego when I want to. I tried…. I tried to stop it, and it has gotten better, but sometimes…. I still think like that. As if what matters to you is not my business, and even when I'm weak and depending on you, I can still pretend like I'm on a pedestal." A small teardrop began bursting from Chitose's left eye, but it did not fell. "I did that because I was stupid. Because, for a moment, I thought your confessions were boring and not enough for me."

Yoriko knew how Chitose's personality was like. Sometimes, especially during parties or social meetings, she became a completely different person. It was visible in the expression of her face, in _that_ particular smile that made her both devious and cunning for a while. When alone with Yoriko, she came back to her gentle self. Her behavior around others was just a show to make her seem more popular, and feel more confident. When Yoriko tried to convince Chitose that she should be yourself, the smaller girl just answered that "being yourself won't get you boyfriends." In a high school, it was true, but Yoriko didn't want to think that way.

Even with her tall an athletic body, Yoriko was still a child on the inside. And children believe on everything they hear.

"I'm sorry. I promise I won't be like this again. If it is, I'mm gonna end up causing our deaths."

Yoriko should have felt anger, but she did not. Most girls would think Chitose was a false friend, and then leave her in the house to die. But Chitose was more than just a friend, and love always forgives. At least, she was being honest to Yoriko, and to herself. She just needed help.

"It's OK, girl. I forgive you." Yoriko smiled and gently touched Chitose's face. It was much warmer than before.

"Are you feeling better now?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Now put some clothes on."

The two began laughing one more time. The clouded rain upon their relationship was over; their friendship had been reborn again. Yoriko remained in the chair for a while, enjoying every single sound of Chitose's joyful laughter. She stopped only after her friend yelled at her.

"I'm going to change now. Don't you dare looking!"

Yoriko turned away. This time, it wasn't necessary to look anymore. She could live with the mystery, the occultation. Chitose was more than a sexual object she could use and then throw away. However, the girl still wanted to do something before going to sleep. And she had an idea.

"What about we sing a song to make you sleep faster? I think we need some music for now."

"Good idea. Which one?" Chitose had quickly put on a simple green nightgown she had found under the pillow. Much better than her dirty, bloodied and battered school uniform, which constantly reminded her of The Program.

"Heart and Soul? I really like that one."

"Great choice. Let's start then!"

The two girls knew that song from Asuka and Kyoko. It was common for them to make a duet on the piano while visiting each other's houses, and so Chitose and Yoriko had heard this song several times, when they were with their friends. Although none of the two knew how to play the piano, they knew the lyrics and that was enough. If there was a song that could capture the meaning of true love in only a few words, it was that one.

After a few seconds of silence, Chitose lied on the bed with her head turned away, while Yoriko remained looking at her. She wasn't going to sleep much, since her duty was to keep watch. When she felt sleepy enough, she would have to forcefully wake Chitose up, and then go to bed herself. But singing would make everything better. It always did. Chitose would sleep faster, and they would be more joyful on the next day, which would probably also be the last day of their lives.

With her head already on the pillow, Chitose began to sing.

"_Heart and Soul, I fell in love with you. Heart and soul, the way a fool would do. Madly. Because you held me tight. And stole a kiss in the night." _

Out of the two, Chitose was clearly the one who sung better. Her voice was high, light and clean, and although she didn't compare with Shizuko Honda or Kagura Soga, she was one of the best singers in her chorus class. If she worked more on her voice, she would sound like an angel.

"_Heart and soul, I begged to be adored. Lost control, and tumbled overboard. Gladly... That magic night we kissed. There in the moon mist." _

Yoriko's voice was the polar opposite. As if it matched her appearance, it was low and deep for a girl. If there were boys in her school, she would probably sing with them as a tenor. Yoriko also had trouble sustaining a note, or when she needed to go high. In other words, she wasn't made to sing.

But then Chitose joined her. Suddenly, everything got better.

"_Oh! but your lips were thrilling, much too thrilling, Never before were mine so strangely willing._"

Together, the girl's voices matched perfectly with one another, like a yin-yang symbol. They had both the potency and the beauty. For Yoriko, the fact that she couldn't sing very well did not matter anymore. She was having fun, and making the song better at the same time.

They continued to sing, finally ending the song with huge smiles on both of their faces.

"_But now I see, what one embrace can do. Look at me, it's got me loving you. Madly... That little kiss you stole, held all my heart and soul." _

After they finished singing_, _Chitose looked at Yoriko_. _For a moment, Yoriko could see the joy in her eyes, the spark they contained, barely restraining itself. A wave of peace went to the tall girl's mind, after realizing that maybe, just maybe, her love was being corresponded.

* * *

><p>Chitose slept like a log.<p>

Over the white blanket, there was the wedding dress Yoriko thought was so gorgeous. The dress was for Chitose, its owner by right, and to no one else in the world. For Yoriko, Chitose would wear that dress sooner or later, even in death. She was just making herself sure of it.

Only the surveillance cameras, with millions of people behind them, could see the small living room. They were the only witnesses of the magical moment when Yoriko, tired of waiting, finally waited for her friend to fall asleep to take the initiative.

The girl leaned towards the one who was much more than a friend to her.

And kissed her lips.

It was a fast kiss; a longer one could make Chitose wake up. And Yoriko wasn't ready to see her reaction. She was still afraid, but a light kiss during sleep was the least she could do.

After that incident, the audience got divided. Some people begged for the government to detonate Yoriko's collar, since homosexuality was a crime in the country. Others, mostly young teenage boys, actually cheered after seeing Yoriko's move. The girl's parents, who had been watching the game since its beginning, opened their mouths wide with shock. In the school, Mrs. Suzuki and the soldiers debated if they should kill Yoriko right away, since even if she won the game, she would be executed shortly afterwards, since someone who wasn't the "ideal Japanese citizen" would never be allowed to win The Program. However, they decided not to, since it would be a waste to eliminate a contestant that way, unless she was planning on going against the game.

Yoriko didn't listen to any of them. They had all faded to the background, to become weak stars in the sky.

And Chitose was the moon, the brightest light of all.

The same moon Yoriko kept staring at for many minutes, with tears of joy running down her eyes and her chest bursting with happiness. She had finally made the first step, and would never hide who she was anymore. Never. From the chair she was still sitting at, the young girl in love didn't take her eyes of the window, nor the beautiful moon that could still exist even in that monstrosity called The Program. After a while, the landslide of emotions began to fade away. And finally, Yoriko Shibasaki said the words she wanted to say for so long.

"I love you, Chitose. With all of my heart and soul."

* * *

><p>AUTHOR'S NOTES<p>

I feel especially proud upon completing this chapter. It was the biggest one so far, and also the most heartwarming. It ends in a positive note instead of a negative one, and does not include violence and bloodshed. I'm afraid, though, that this will be the first and the last chapter like this.

Maybe these are the moments that define The Program. The short times when everything seems to be working well for the characters. When the reader gets touched by their back stories, and cheers at the personal progress they make. Of course, it only makes a character's death more cruel and heartbreaking, but while things stay on the bright side, they seem like they cannot get worse.

I haven't updated in a while. My school year has begun three weeks ago, and I also distanced myself from the story due to a certain laziness. However, I wrote two smaller fanfics, "No One Lives Forever" and "How to WIN The Program". For all the people who like this story, please give those ones a try if you have the time. And review it with sincere opinions, instead of a "it's amazing!" made only not to anger me.

See you all on the next chapter!

Bye!


	22. Conspiracy

**Chapter 22**

It was time for the third announcement. Around the city, all of the girls who were still alive to hear Mrs. Suzuki's words kept their ears focused. Some were awaken by the sudden noise in the loudspeakers, but quickly went back to sleep. All of them held their breaths. The announcements would say whether or not the nightmare they were in had gotten a little bit better, or much worse.

"Hello, girls! Do you all miss me? Here I am then, at exactly midnight, with the names and numbers of all of the ladies who died in the last six hours! Now, before I start, I have to say that you've gotten better than in the last announcement. Although, numerically, the body count has not increased much, the quality of your kills has skyrocketed. I'm really proud of you in that aspect, bloodbaths pull in a larger number of viewers, and now our audience has increased dramatically. Many people are watching each and every one of you, so you should all continue to please them! Anyway, let's move to the deaths. The first one to leave this place in a body bag was Girl #19, Natsumi Moriguchi, shortly after the previous announcement was made. Poor thing. After getting betrayed, she was sliced and diced like a sushi! Next, we have the equally brutal murder of Girl #12, Mari Shikamoto. Her death was only a matter of time, since a weakling like her would never make it far into this game. She got the same treatment of Girl #19, only with an ax. I'm not allowed to say the names of the killers, but I'll make an exception this time, since the one who killed Girl #12 is the third and last name on the list. Girl #1, Hisame Shikamoto, brutally murdered her own cousin in a way that made us all proud. However, this girl did not have the smarts or the right weapons to stay alive, and now she has bullet fragments inside of her brain.

Those three were solid kills, but I'm not fully satisfied yet. In previous seasons, more than 10 corpses fell in six hours, in some occasions. The highest number you have all reached so far is 4, so I'm naturally expecting it to increase by the next couple of announcements. The new danger zones are H-3 at 1 am, D-6 at 3 am, and finally B-9 at 5 am. Now I'm out for the next six hours! Good luck!"

Then the loudspeakers silenced.

* * *

><p>Shizuko Honda couldn't remember the last time her legs felt so wet.<p>

Maybe it was that time when she had been outside in a rainy day, two days before The Program. She went to school and forgot to bring a raincoat from home. Daydreaming and lost in her thoughts, Shizuko only realized she wasn't wearing her protection already two blocks away. Since her mother didn't go outside to give it to her, Shizuko had to run back home and start the walk all over again, while rain water dripped down her skirt and flooded her legs. It felt good at the time, but not as much when she arrived at school and created a puddle of water on the chair she sat at.

No, it wasn't then. It was the weekend before The Program, when she, Rena Kuroda and Natsumi Moriguchi hung out together for the last time, although they did not know of it yet. Shizuko had not dived into a pool during all of her nine months of pregnancy. The last time she recalled doing it was in her brief relationship with Satoru, when the couple made out in the water and she took pictures of them with her cell phone. After the break up, of course, all of those pictures were deleted.

Nine months later, when the three girls swan together, they didn't stay there that much, and the afternoon consisted of some pictures and swimming competitions. In one of the photos they took, Rena drew a smile on Shizuko's pregnant belly, which was soon destroyed by the water. On another, Natsumi put a basketball under her shirt, to pretend that she was pregnant as well. Forgetting everything she had been through, for a moment Shizuko felt happy, complete. The small pool party was one of the few genuinely happy moments Shizuko experienced while pregnant.

"_God, I really miss them."_

Although the pregnant girl was once again covered in water, the situation was totally different. Rena and Natsumi weren't there. Not because they couldn't arrive on time, but because they were dead. The water wasn't falling from the skies or resting in a pool, but flowing from a ruptured amniotic sack. To top it off, the girl also wasn't happy this time. She was crying. Her legs were not the only wet part of her body.

Although hearing of Natsumi's death was horrible, made even worse by Mrs. Suzuki saying the girl was "sliced and diced like a sushi", it didn't have the same impact as Rena's. It wasn't because the pigtailed girl was any less of a friend. Not at all. Sadly, the news were already expected by Shizuko. Without Rena to protect her, Natsumi certainly wouldn't last very long. It was just a matter of time.

The pregnant girl, though, needed and missed both of them equally. Shortly before the third announcement, Shizuko was in the bedroom, taking a short nap and getting ready for all of the pain she would soon have to endure. Since it was her first time giving birth, the contractions were unbearable, but being a resistant girl, Shizuko endured the pain. Sleeping was almost impossible. After a while, Shizuko was awoken by a splashing sound, and when she looked at the sheets, they were wet with amniotic fluid. Realizing that the baby would come out soon, the pregnant girl ran towards the small upstairs bathroom.

Although the bathroom wasn't a good place to keep herself safe, it was much better to deliver there. Protected only by a fragile door, Shizuko had all the necessary material for a safe birth. Scissors to cut the umbilical cord, rags to clean whatever fluid left her body, and even a syringe with anesthesia, which made Shizuko realize how lucky she was. The needle would be useful later, when the pain became unbearable and the baby began to come out. Besides, the golf club and the powerful Uzi were right next to her, if she needed them. And being in a Battle Royale, sooner or later she would.

However, if any form of complication occurred, such as lack of oxygen for the baby or any other medical problem, to the point of a cesarean being needed, Shizuko wouldn't have the guts to cut, operate or make a surgery on herself. She would probably die, and so would her child. Rena and Natsumi could help her with that, but with their deaths and no one else alive she could completely trust, Shizuko was on her own.

"_If only they were with me…"_

From underneath the tears, Shizuko sighed. It was already too late. There was no point in crying over things that could not be changed. Natsumi and Rena were dead. They wouldn't come back. They deserved to live, or at least last a few more hours, but they did not. While shaking her legs and crying, Shizuko imagined how their bodies would look like. Their terrified expressions, coagulated blood, and pale, bluish skin. There were only two places the two girls still lived in: Shizuko's dreams and memories. They did not belong to the real world anymore.

"_But I'm still here."_

Shizuko kept repeating these words like a mantra, like an echo inside of her head. After a while, it made her feel better about herself. She was still alive. It was everything that mattered. Rena and Natsumi would want that. The battle was not over by far, and according to the student list she had been crossing out names from, twelve other female students were still out to get her. But Shizuko had, at least, made it that far. She had endured a family with no love, the social awkwardness and shyness that separated her from her peers, the humiliation of being betrayed by the man she loved and apparently loved her back, nine months of an unwanted pregnancy, and the inclusion in The Program. Her life resembled a soap opera, or a Korean melodrama. Tragedy and more tragedy.

Still, she made it through it all.

Because of _her._

Two weeks before The Program, Shizuko watched a national documentary, in which people had to talk about the best thing they had experienced in their lives. All of them were average, middle class citizens, who would obviously be jailed if they said anything remotely related to the government. There were many good speeches, but for the pregnant girl, the best one came exactly from a woman who had been pregnant before. For that woman, the best day of her life wasn't when she lost her virginity, got married or graduated, but rather, the birth of her first child.

According to the woman whose name Shizuko had forgotten, giving birth felt like being lifted from her body, as if the pain she had experienced had a purpose all along. She felt a pulsating, hot energy inside of her, growing and growing as the nine months of pregnancy went by. And in that magic moment when the baby finally left her body to become a separate creature, the woman felt like if she was giving birth to the sun. Because much like the king of the solar system, her child was a warm, life-giving entity, who while the delivery lasted, led her into a calm, ethereal new world. At the end of the interview, the woman said that she had been reborn. A few seconds later, she was crying tears of genuine emotion.

At the time, Shizuko did not understand her. Now, she finally did.

Sadly, Shizuko's past experiences with men had already scarred her. If the girl managed to survive The Program, she would find it hard to fall in love with a man again. She had reasons to do so. Her own father treated her for years like she didn't exist. And the love of her life ended up letting her pregnant, alone and betrayed. With the exception of Mr. Sakai, all men had been monsters to her. Her hopes of finding a Prince Charming in the future were, realistically, very slim.

After that night, though, Shizuko would never be alone again. Not anymore.

Her baby was there. It wasn't born yet, and it would be a hard job to make her daughter survive The Program. However, every time she felt another kick on her stomach, Shizuko vowed to herself that she would protect that child, no matter what. The pregnant girl would deliver, win the game, go back home and raise the girl like the mother figure she never had. Rena and Natsumi were dead, but she wouldn't follow their path.

"_Life really is something interesting, after all…"_ thought Shizuko with a small smile. Then, she grabbed the Uzi lying on the yellow floor and turned her body towards the dark hallway, facing it. Some water was still dripping down her legs, staining the lower front of her white nightgown. She didn't care. The pregnant girl couldn't allow herself to be caught distracted or daydreaming again. Had she not shot at Kumiko Noma on time, the killer would have gotten into the manor. Shizuko was ready this time. One click of the trigger, and everyone who got in would feel the pain of being riddled by bullets. _Everyone._ There was no one else Shizuko could trust, not even the girls who had good reputations. At the beginning of the game, she had been doubtful about killing, but not anymore. Being attacked by Kumiko, along with all of the deaths and announcements, had changed her mind over time. Only one would make it out alive, and Shizuko was certain that some of her classmates did not deserve to live. Tsukiko Amano, Kageri Shouzaku and Hisame Shikamoto, for example, deserved what they got. Who else was killing out there? She couldn't know. And this was why she was going to kill for her baby. It was better to have blood on her hands than blood from her sliced throat.

She loved her child more than enough to kill for her.

It was strange, absurdly strange. All of her life, Shizuko had never truly_ cared_. Instead, she felt like others should care about her. First Mr. Sakai, then Rena and Natsumi, and finally Satoru. Even though not all of them were honest, they had protected her, and even sacrificed some of their free time and well-being for her to be happy. Shizuko, on the other hand, was the passive object of affection, who was easily fooled into believing that everyone loved her for what she was. Maybe her education by neglectful parents made her too _needy_ to be loved. It was a strong possibility.

Now the roles had been inversed. She was the protector, the guardian. An adult responsible for her own actions. A potential killer. A mother.

And nothing in this world is stronger than a mother's love.

Shizuko kept massaging her belly. Lightly and tenderly, as Satoru had touched her on the day the baby was conceived. Even though she hated Satoru, Shizuko knew that the child was a memory of him. Still, she was an innocent being, unaware of the war her parents had brought upon each other. With time, Shizuko hoped, her daughter would learn to live without a father, and forget him. Satoru did not deserve better.

The people whom she would tell her daughter who they were, and what they had accomplished in life, were Rena and Natsumi. They wouldn't be forgotten, but remembered. The pictures Shizuko had in her drawer at home, of the three of them chilling at the pool, would be the same ones that she would show to her baby when she got old enough. And after going back home, she would go talk to Rena and Natsumi's parents and apologize for their little girls' deaths. No matter how dangerous the consequences could be.

But first, there was another homage that she would do. And her child would be the first witness of it.

The pregnant girl's gaze left her belly for a moment, and stared at the hallway. With her Uzi cradled in her arms and pointed upwards, she looked like an action movie heroine getting ready for a battle. A battle that was yet to occur. No one was coming, and she couldn't hear a noise. Good for her, but sooner or later, another girl would invade Kagurazaka manor, willing to destroy Shizuko's life. But the pregnant girl would not allow it. No one would touch the unborn baby who had the same name as one of her friends.

"It seems like it's only you and me against the world, Natsumi." Whispered Shizuko under her breath, smiling and looking at her uterus. "Just you and me."

* * *

><p>Trauma<p>

Dictionary definition: **1. **A serious injury or shock to the body, as from violence or an accident.

**2. **An emotional wound or shock that creates substantial, lasting damage to the psychological development of a person, often leading to neurosis. **3. **An event or situation that causes great distress and disruption.

Dictionaries weren't among the works of literature Kagura Soga enjoyed reading. For her, they were a waste of time. Not that the girl was stupid or illiterate, far from it. But if she had to choose between a dictionary and the new volume of a shoujo manga, she would go for the later.

However, if Kagura ever read the definition of the word "trauma", she wouldn't identify herself with option one. After all, she had not been wounded in the slightest bit since she came into The Program. Mostly because of strong allies and luck, but still, she was unscathed. Although the word "violence" was something she wanted to inflict, no "accidents" had been initiated yet.

Numbers two and three, though, told a different story.

The unattractive girl stared at the dark street four floors below. It was almost impossible to see the entrances of the houses from the other side, and much less a person. The darkness was ominous, frightening and vast, and seemed to engulf every single form of lighting on its path. The only exceptions were the many small, fragile lampposts that littered the narrow street. They were still standing, but the light they produced seemed to be getting weaker and weaker, soon to be extinguished by the night.

Kagura hated being there, but she had no other choice. It was her turn to watch, while equipped with Hitomi Nara's pistol. The lights of the room were obviously all turned off, in order to draw as little attention as possible. After one more hour, Kagura was supposed to wake Sachiko Kirihara up, give her the pistol and go to sleep. But even if she followed all of the rules correctly, Kagura doubted tremendously that she would get any sleep on that night.

The dark had always been a source of fear for the girl. As a child, the worst moment of her day was when she felt thirsty at night and had to look for a cup of water in the kitchen. Going there in the dark was horrible. Coming back to her bed was even worse. Every time she was alone in the dark living room, Kagura felt like someone was walking behind her. And when she reached the bedroom and jumped on her bed, the girl thought that someone was already lying there, ready to grab her. Her imagination had many terrifying faces – the traditional long haired Japanese ghost, a floating hand, pale and dark, and even a giant caterpillar. In the end, they all meant the same thing; that Kagura would be killed by those creatures, or at least, taken to an unknown, horrifying world of nightmares.

Kagura thought that her fear would stop as soon as she reached the end of childhood. But it remained.

If anything, the _trauma_ she suffered during the last few years only intensified it. Being bullied is a horrible experience for anyone. Being bullied by Tomoko Kobi and Tsukiko Amano, however, can make anyone wish to be dead. They were responsible not only for Kagura's torments, but for her status as an outcast as well. After all, the entire class was afraid of those two. No one came in to help Kagura because of this fear.

"_But now they are where they deserve to be: in hell."_ Kagura thought maliciously. When the first announcement came in and she heard the two girls' names, she had restrained herself from jumping in joy. Those two, who had ruined her social life, had fallen already on the first few hours of the game. The only thing Kagura didn't like about the situation was that she hadn't killed them herself. She still hoped, though, that their deaths had been painful enough.

Kagura blinked twice, and two seconds were enough to cause the painful memories of her previous middle school years to flood her brain; the day when Tomoko called her an ugly mouse and stole her lunch, while Tsukiko laughed. The week when Tsukiko "accidentally" threw a dumbbell on her foot during gym class. And even a memory from a day when decided to bring her iPod to school, in order to listen to some music during her breaks. She forgot it under the desk after the end of class, and when she came back, the device wasn't there. Kagura only found her music the next day, in one of the garbage cans in the hallway. If she had not, it would have been taken away. And of course, Kagura knew the culprits.

None of those things, though, was worse than the day when Kagura relived her fear of the dark. It was a cold Friday, and on that day, she had decided to stay at school after everyone else left, in order to do her homework before going back home. She wasn't alone. The two bullies, along with their leader, Kumiko Noma, caught her sight in the hallway and dragged a screaming Kagura to the bathroom. There, they decided to "teach her a lesson" for ignoring their pranks all day. Kagura couldn't do anything as they trapped her inside one of the stalls, while using a chair to block the doorknob and ensure that she would not get out. While laughing hysterically, the troubled trio left the room and turned off the lights, leaving Kagura in the enclosed, dark space.

The girl remained there for two hours and a half, until an old janitor heard her voice from outside and took her out of there. It was too late. The _trauma_ inflicted upon her mind was already more than enough. At first, the girl tried screaming her lungs out. When it didn't work, she began hitting the door and turning the lock frantically. Then, she began to sing her favorite anime songs, in order to calm herself down. Finally, when Kagura was found, she was already talking to herself.

Kagura would never forget the fear she felt on that day. She could barely move a muscle, afraid that a ghost would suddenly pop out of nowhere and scare her to death. The dark bathroom was so terrifying that only its air was enough to suffocate her. As the time passed by, Kagura's emotions went from fear to hatred, and then to sadness. When she was finally found, her eyes were red from crying. The girl did not tell her parents the reason why she took so long to get home on that day. She just ignored their questions and went upstairs to cry on her pillow.

On the day when Sato Mizunoe came to the school, with her awkward way of walking, fat body and pimple-covered face, Kagura already knew that she would be the next one to get picked on. By that time, the ugly girl was officially a member of Rin Tosaba's clique, and according to her social role, she should be indifferent to the suffering of the outcasts. Even though she certainly felt pity for Sato, part of her was happy. Someone else had come to replace her in the worst spot of the pecking order. And if that meant that she wouldn't get bullied anymore, then things should proceed that way. If Kagura tried to help the new victim, Tsukiko, Kumiko and Tomoko would come for her as well. And so she remained in silence.

Kagura's eyes remained fixed on the large window. Everything was quiet and somewhat peaceful, even in the middle of The Program. Could the girl be sure that no one was around, she would have simply lied on the sofa and forced herself to sleep. Not that it would be easy. The Program kept her awake.

And _they_ did too.

Kagura trusted Sachiko and considered her the only real friend she had. But she would never say the same about Rin, Hitomi, or Hana. She still remembered that terrible day, when she heard two of them mocking her behind her back. Her "friends" were no different from her enemies. Even if their class had not gone into The Program, Kagura knew that, sooner or later, the rest of the group would turn against her. She would be bullied and excluded again, and even Sachiko wouldn't protect her, for fear of losing her spot on the social ladder. In The Program, things got even worse. Who would deny that, if Kagura slept, Rin would not wake up, grab her shotgun and blast the shorter girl's head into pieces. Kagura was sure that Hitomi and Hana were stupid and believed in her lies, but she wasn't as certain about Rin. After that moment in the kitchen ended, Rin started following Kagura around, with a strange look on her face. The ugly girl could not decipher it; it might have been amusement, fear, or distrust. And she hoped it wasn't the later.

With her plan of revenge at such an advanced stage, Kagura couldn't let her guard down anymore. She would have to stay awake.

During the last few hours, the anger and euphoria that powered Kagura's spirit were replaced by a strange feeling of emptiness and melancholia. The cause certainly wasn't regret, as Kagura still wanted to finish her job. Maybe it was the closer proximity of death, after the announcements revealed the death of three more girls. Or maybe it was just frustration.

The girls in that apartment were certainly starting to suspect on each other, but Kagura still had not found the spark. The small action that would turn them from bitchy high school girls to competitive monsters fighting for survival. The best option would be a death, but whom? Not Sachiko, for sure, but killing Rin, Hitomi or Hana was also an impossible task. The Colt .45 did not have a silencer equipped, and its noise would wake all of the other girls up after the first gunshot. Then, Kagura would be overpowered quickly, and soon meet the barrel of Rin's shotgun.

If she wanted to continue with the plan, she would need the help from an outsider. But who?

Out of the girls who bullied her, only Kumiko was alive. However, Kagura wouldn't trust her. With her terrible reputation and destructive personality, Kumiko was most likely to be playing to win. Besides her, who could it be? Some other girls were certainly playing, but Kagura did not know who they were. No matter who she decided to ally too, though, her decision would always be a double bladed sword. If the girl was playing the game, she could try to kill Kagura as well. And if she was not, well, she would refuse to kill anyone, to begin with.

Kagura's legs began to shake on their own, and after a while, they gave out, more than willing to do so as they crashed on the floor. Kagura could only look at the dusty floor. She felt so tired, so useless. The weight of The Program got stronger on her back. Nothing was working, and if she didn't manage to kill everyone else in that apartment before they killed her, she was going to die too, when the game got closer to its end. How many hours did she have?

No longer able to remain standing anymore, due to the fatigue taking over her body, Kagura sat on the green couch and looked outside. Again, no one was coming. But the girl did not get calmer. She felt just so _weak_; weaker than she already was. Kagura never enjoyed excitement or adventure; she was a relaxed, anti-sporty individual, who would rather stay at home watching another episode of Evangelion for the 50th time than going out to party and coming back home at 3 am. After "befriending" Rin and her friends, she started hanging out with them, but still remained somewhat antisocial. At the many parties the girls attended, containing tons of alcohol and even some drugs, Kagura tended to spend the night talking to Sachiko on a table while the other three girls got wild on the dance for and hooked up with whoever they saw. However, Kagura never complained about her lifestyle: she was happy in living a simple but boring life. Of course, she would love to follow Rin's example and get a boyfriend as handsome as Koichi, but no matter how much make up she put on or how many hours she spent taking care of her looks at home, she never got approached. _Ever._ If Sachiko wasn't there to talk her out of her problems, Kagura had a high possibility of falling into depression.

"Sachiko…" Kagura's gaze turned from the open window to the closed door, leading to the bedroom where her glass-eyed friend slept.

The hardest part of her revenge plan wasn't making it right; it was to somehow be sure that Sachiko wouldn't die during it. Her targets were Rin, Hitomi and Hana. And no one else. She wasn't planning to keep killing after those horrible excuses for human beings were dead; if anything, she would just pretend she had not killed anyone and find a way to survive with Sachiko.

If Sachiko didn't decide to attack her, of course. This was why she wasn't going to kill any of those bitches directly.

"_I'm gonna need luck… lots of luck…" _Optimism had never been one of Kagura's qualities. Since she opened her pack to find the syringe that carried poison, the many ways Rin and the others could kill her when there was no one else left in that game were a constant in the acne-faced girl's mind. One of her worst options involved being tortured. Kagura imagined Hitomi and Hana stabbing her with kitchen knives, followed by Rin coming in to shoot her dead with the shot gun, while her friends laughed hysterically and Sachiko cried in a corner. Other visions contained surrealistic, fantasy-like imagery. Like a giant Eva, with Rin as its pilot, coming into the apartment only to crush her into pieces. Or an angel coming from the skies, wielding the Lance of Longinus and making a strange symbol in the air. This angel would bring the Second Impact upon the world and kill almost all of mankind. For Kagura, the apocalypse and Battle Royale weren't that different from each other.

"_Enough. You can't be a weakling anymore. You were this at the concert and look at what they did; it's time to look outside and see if someone comes to your aid before your turn is over. It's your last chance and you've got to make it good."_

Fighting against the fatigue that kept her firm as a statue, Kagura craned her neck and looked at the dark, somber world outside of the small oasis she was at.

At first, she did not see anything. A few minutes passed. When the girl was finally giving up and already turning her head, someone finally came.

A girl was walking down the far horizon of Kagura's vision, getting closer and closer. There was a pistol in each of her hands, and her duffel bag was on her back, bouncing and shaking. The darkness obscured the girl's face, but judging by that voluptuous, sensual and curvy body, Kagura was pretty certain of who it was.

Kumiko Noma.

Thinking about that dreadful girl's name was enough to make Kagura's eyes shimmer with hatred and fury. The last one of the bullies who tormented her was still alive. Kumiko wasn't always around when her gang tormented Kagura, but the unattractive girl knew that she was the only one who had enough brains to lead the group and tell them what to do. Throwing Kagura's IPod in the trash was Kumiko's idea. And so was the bathroom incident. Not surprisingly, Kumiko's reputation at school contained the words "psychopath" on one extreme and "slut" on the other. But gossip wasn't enough to bring her down; Kumiko was made of steel and had a tongue as poisonous as a snake. She would be great at helping Kagura with her conspiracy, but on the other hand, she could never be trusted. How could Kagura get closer to her without getting shot, to begin with? Still, Kumiko would probably be her last chance…

"_Fuck! Should I go there or not? It's obvious that she's playing, and will try to kill me! But I have a gun too. Maybe if I…"_

Kagura's face darkened as a plan came up. It would not be easy, and there was a chance that she wouldn't even go back to the apartment if things didn't go right. But she would have to take that risk, because it was all or nothing. The choice was simple: risking her life and maybe moving her revenge to the next level, or not doing anything and dying in less than 24 hours. It was time to change the tables. No more inactivity, long waiting, nor fear. For the first time, she would have to go at her problems and face them, in order to succeed. Although the girl never told anyone about the concert incident, one of Kagura's biggest regrets was crying on the staircase instead of entering that filthy bathroom and slapping all four of those whores.

Besides, she wasn't alone. The darkness of the night would help her.

Or wouldn't they? Leaving the safety and comfort of the apartment to go out into the dark world outside was the same thing as going to the kitchen as a small child to get a cup of water, hoping to come back to the bedroom safe and sound.

Kagura's body screamed at her to stay, but she forced her feet to take her across the room and out of the door. On every step she took, the air grew heavier, denser, and the temperature dropped until reaching abnormally cold levels for the summer. Kagura could never be sure if the environment around her was changing, or if it was all in her mind. Walking slowly on the green, poorly illuminated hallway, Kagura took the stairs in order to get to the entrance before Kumiko did. Before starting to go down, she took a long, fearful breath.

No matter how much she wanted to think otherwise, Kagura Soga was still afraid of the dark.

* * *

><p>The lamppost would look like a lighthouse, if there weren't hundreds of identical lights littering the street. Its white glow made it possible to see a little of the sidewalk, and even among the despair that the night evocated, it represented a small ray of hope. Even in The Program, when hope is an empty word that does not exist.<p>

The small mechanical beauty, however, was far from being a paradise. Inside the glass casing that protected the light, death and the cruel laws of nature were still present. Around the illuminated center, moths were flying blindly. Dozens of them. Hundreds, perhaps. Many, however, were killed as soon as they touched the light, or at least, severely burned. Still, it did not stop the surviving moths to keep going for the light, only to get burned once more and eventually die. They did not seem to find horror on the way their companions' corpses were lifelessly sprawled on the glass case. In fact, it was almost as if they enjoyed suffering.

Kumiko Noma was more used to butterflies than to moths, but it still did not stop her from appreciating the nocturnal counterparts. Moths were more powerful and contained a dark, ferocious energy, which was visible in their nocturnal habits. Kumiko had never killed a moth before, because every time she tried, those animals would scare her, amaze her, and _fascinate _her. For Kumiko, moths were beings that were beyond human comprehension, and not even her paintings could capture them entirely. If she decided to make a sketch of a moth in her canvas, she would spend so much time looking at it that the interest in completing her work quickly vanished.

Sadly, it wasn't the time to look at moths, but to look for new victims to kill. A challenge that wasn't as fun, but definitely more exciting. The girl's classmates were like moths that she could kill; they behaved the same way, but were much, much weaker. They were the ones who kept coming back to the light even after getting burned alive.

While thinking her usual criticisms about human nature, Kumiko walked at a fast pace. According to the announcement, the area she was in wouldn't become a danger zone, but keeping moving would do no harm. It was actually recommended. Her uncle did not know about it, but whenever she got the chance, she watched The Program on her bedroom's television. Kumiko certainly wasn't addicted to it, since most of her time was spent between painting, hanging out and doing her homework. But when she saw the carnage in front of her eyes, Kumiko made herself sure to pay attention. Not only because it was fun, but also because it would help her to win, in case her class ever got selected. Ironically, it did.

Moving constantly was a great way of avoiding both danger zones and people sneaking up from behind. However, the girl certainly wasn't going to hide. Most of the contestants were now behind closed doors, so to win the game, she would have to make them come out. The only way she could do this was by staying alert and observing all details of the places where she passed by. Anything could indicate that people were inside; movements on windows, conversations that could be heard at close range, shadows. What would define her victory wouldn't be killing her opponents, but finding them.

"_I'll have all the time in the world. There's no need to worry. Soon, this game will be mine."_

Kumiko's reputation at school was despicable to say the least, but she did not care. Her classmates could say whatever they wanted behind her back, but none of that bullshit would ever hurt her. It was the same with her pathetic uncle: a loser who married without having a job, he was divorced by his wife only two years after marriage and never had any children. Still, being the closest thing to a parent for Kumiko, he always thought the right to interfere in his niece's life was his. Every time Kumiko got back home and he was still awake to see her, he asked the girl where she had gone and who she had been with. Kumiko always lied, but the fool was tricked anyway; she was good at that. And after going to her bedroom for some sleep before the next day, she laughed silently and eerily.

It wasn't that the girl wanted to destroy other people's lives. She just didn't care about them. Although forming a duo with Tomoko and Tsukiko was fun, all of her plans and actions had herself in the first place. No different from the many men she slept with on Friday and Saturday nights; Kumiko never got romantically attached to any of them, and during sex, her main objective was obtaining pleasure for herself. Although some of the drunken, sex-starved costumers of the bar she went at were smart enough to know that Kumiko didn't give a damn about any of them, they still kept pursuing her. Like all of the men in the world, a girl's breasts and vagina were more important than all of the rest.

"_They are no different from the moths, aren't they? They always go, follow, want, desire, the ones who mistreat, ignore, bully and treat them badly. Everyone's like this. They go for the light that burns and destroys them, instead of giving them heat. If the light is kind and gentle, it gets boring and uninteresting. If they love me as much as they say they do, it's their problem; I don't give a shit."_ The deadly girl thought, changing her focus from The Program to her life. Yes, that was the way things were. Tomoko and Tsukiko, her uncle, her classmates, all of those men, they were attracted to her exactly because she repelled them. They were stupid and weak, and deserved to be treated as such. Pitiful ugly moths flying towards the light, ready to be burned. Or have their wings ripped off.

After winning The Program, the first thing on Kumiko's plans was getting rid of her uncle. She would kill him and make it look like an accident. Since the law always protected The Program winners, her chance of going to jail were slim. Then, she would sell the house she had lived at her entire life, and use the government's money to buy a better one, built and decorated the way she wanted it to be. In her new place, her life would restart.

If only saying it was as easy as doing it. Because for a moment, all that Kumiko wanted was to stay inside for a few minutes. The cold was killing her.

Summer was still on, but quickly moving towards the fall. At night, the temperatures in some districts of Tokyo dropped dramatically, and Saitama was one of them. Kumiko felt like someone had scrubbed ice cream on her face and on her pale back. She should have gotten a coat from that house.

The girl did not see anything, but while she swore softly under her breath and shivered in the cold, a human-shaped figure emerged from the entrance of a building she had just passed by. It moved extremely slowly and swiftly, with the intention of not being noticed. Kumiko was so focused on the journey ahead of her that she did not even see that the building was there. When she started to notice something was terribly wrong, it was already too late.

Steps began to echo behind her. Getting stronger and closer as the seconds went by.

The beautiful assassin only had time to half-turn, unaware of what was going on and getting ready to shoot her attacker. At the same time, Kagura Soga pulled out her Colt .45 and pointed its barrel to the back of Kumiko's head. Then, she violently grabbed a strand of Kumiko's hair with her left hand, doing what was possible to keep the girl's head in place.

"Don't move, bitch." Said the overweight girl with a hoarse, aggressive voice. "Or your brains are going to make the sidewalk even dirtier."

Kumiko was shocked, out of breath; how could she have been surprised so easily? Stupid, weakling! Although she had killed two people, luck certainly wasn't on her side; she couldn't kill Sato Mizunoe, and her attack on Chitose Higurashi and Yoriko Shibasaki had failed miserably, her teeth were gone as a result. She also didn't get into the Kagurazaka manor, being met by a blast of gunfire instead of a sanctuary. And now this. Why was everything so unfair?

Before she could notice, sweat was already dripping from under her hair, and falling from her temples. She had never come this close to dying, except for _that day_, many years ago. One wrong move, and she would be gone. To live, Kumiko would have to do what she hated the most: play by someone else's rules.

"What do you want? What do you want from me?" Asked the killer, so generically that it did not even sound like a smart, strong girl. The fear had paralyzed Kumiko. She did not know what to say anymore.

"If you do what I want, you are not going to die. But don't even think about not listening to me." As the girl continued speaking, Kumiko began to vaguely remember who that voice belonged to. Could it be...?

"I…"

"JUST FUCKING LISTEN!"

Screaming, Kagura pulled Kumiko's hair even tighter, causing the taller girl to grunt in pain. She also pressed the barrel of the pistol harder, and Kumiko's eyes watered upon feeling the cold contact of the object against her head. Would it end that way? She, the one who was destined to win, defeated so miserably and easily? She had never been through so much humiliation!

"It's simple. I've got a mission for you. Go with it, and I'll help you after you've done it, even if it causes my death. Refuse it, and it will be your last decision. It's your choice."

Kagura Soga. It was her, for sure. That pathetic, self hating anime fan had finally grown some backbone, it seemed. It was so nice to bully and torment her at school, to see the tears in Kagura's eyes as she cried and never fought back. Kumiko was a girl who liked some challenge, so during her time bullying Kagura, she quickly got bored of her. Not before ordering her friends to trap the weaker girl in a dark bathroom, of course.

Now, the roles had been reserved. The victim became the aggressor. But Kumiko still had to know what the plan was like. Curiosity was in control, and if the "mission" involved killing someone and it would be even better.

With Kumiko's silence, Kagura continued her speech:

"Good. It seems like you are willing to do it."

"What do I-I… have to do?" Answered Kumiko, faking some crocodile tears to convince Kagura to release her. It did not happen, and the pain on her hair continued. She would never be trusted.

"My friends are sleeping upstairs. All of them. I cannot kill them on my own, because some… problems will occur if I do it. But you are different. You will go upstairs and kill one of them. Only one. Don't make a sound, too. If you do, they will wake up. I know them well, and I also know how to make each and every one of them open their eyes. Their weapons are better than yours, so if you try to kill me instead, I'll wake them up and them your horsey face will become a red hole. If you do anything that's not in the plan, the same thing happens. Do you understand? _Do _you _understand?"_

Apart from the explosion on her ears when Kagura's venomous words echoed dangerously close to them, Kumiko saw the situation in a positive light. If she wasn't so scared and stressed out, she would have smiled. She had gotten a chance, after all; without Kagura, she wouldn't be able to find the right apartment, and once there, a third person would fall by her hands. Sure, it couldn't be the way she wanted it to be, and she didn't see any way of escaping the situation and killing Kagura without dying as well. However, being the adventurous type of girl, Kumiko went with the proposal.

"_Besides… If I don't say yes, she's going to kill me here. Mama, take a look, I found a substitute for you."_

"Yes, I do." Kumiko paused and then regained her breath, licking her lips and swallowing once. "I agree with the deal." Kumiko hoped that Kagura would release her grip, or at least make it a little weaker, after agreeing with her terms. Instead, Kagura's enclosed fist was still pulling her hair, tearing out some strands and causing her a lot of pain. The gun remained firm. It made sense. Kagura had been tormented for years, and her hatred for Kumiko was strongly. _"She must be barely restraining herself from killing me right here."_

The two girls started walking towards the blue entrance of the building, where a large glass door would take them to the lobby. They moved as slowly as turtles, with Kumiko watching out for Kagura's feet, fearing to step on them. She could feel the ugly girl's hot and heavy breath on the back of her neck, giving her some understanding on why she shouldn't mess with Kagura. But when they were only a few steps away from the door, a question took hold of Kumiko's mind. It wasn't a good question, the type that would be better to be left in the shadows. Kumiko asked it anyway.

"After I kill… one of them…" Kumiko whispered as the two stopped walking. The pain remained intense and pulled her head upwards, trapping her neck and making it difficult to speak. "They are going to suspect on you. What are you going to do afterwards?"

"It's simple. I'll pretend to be asleep." Kagura's hot breath was felt in every pore of Kumiko's porcelain skin. "After you are done, wait for me by the hospital, 3 zones away from here. I'll catch up with you there. Also, be sure to change the crime scene. I don't want to see any clues pointing towards me or you." Kagura's tone suddenly got louder and more aggressive. _"Understood?"_

"Y-yes." It sounded like a good plan. Kumiko knew that the group of girls with whom Kagura hung out with was quite large; if she decided to attack Kagura as soon as she got there, it would be hard to escape without at least being overpowered. And the risks were just too big. Of course, Kagura would receive all of her bullets in her forehead as soon as she got into the hospital. The only thing Kumiko was doubtful about was how to kill any of those girls, since none of her weapons were silent. _"No big deal. I'll still have a while to think about this."_

Resisting to the pressure of the gun, Kumiko managed to put a smile on her face. A deranged, sadistic one, which promised a good bloodbath. She had been defeated momentarily in order to succeed in the future. Being caught by the girl she had cruelly victimized wasn't that bad, after all.

In the end, Kagura was still the moth, and she was still the lamppost.

Kumiko was forced to open the glass door, and the two girls got into the lobby clumsily and disjointedly. They walked over to the elevator, and Kagura released Kumiko's hair for a second in order to push its button. The gun remained where it was, though, and Kumiko did not dare to move or react. She was lost in her thoughts, floating trough a never ending maze of ideas, theories and possibilities. One of them was the reason why Kagura wanted only one of her friends to die. Kumiko quickly realized why. In a Battle Royale, a divided house never stood. Never. Upon seeing one of their friends dead, Rin and the others would freak out and shoot each other. Hopefully, they would shoot an unattractive anime fan as well, sparing her of doing the dirty work.

The elevator came only a few seconds later. The two girls got in and Kagura pushed the button to the fourth floor. The doors closed.

"_Tomorrow, when they wake up"_ thought Kumiko, smiling. _"This place is going to explode."_

* * *

><p>AUTHOR'S NOTES<p>

I focused the beginning of this chapter on Shizuko not only to show her reaction to Natsumi's death, but also to develop her more as a character. She finally got the concept of the game in, and realized that she'll have to kill in order for her child to survive. I believe every mother would do the same, in her situation.

In this chapter, I also decided to show more of Kagura's "sweet side", since she was extremely aggressive on her last appearance, on chapter eighteen. Only you readers can tell if it worked or not. Kagura is, essentially, a grey character, nor good nor evil. As the opening of her section says, she's still suffering from a trauma, living in a personal hell she cannot escape from. She's my favorite character to write about so far, maybe because of her ambiguity.

Kumiko is certainly a very unlucky villain. Now, she's in Kagura's hands. I tried to subvert the typical Battle Royale cliché, in which the kids who play the game are always smarter than the ones who do not and ALWAYS get the upper hand in any type of conflict. Until the final battle, of course. A little more was added about Kumiko's personality, but the revelation of her secrets and past will still take a long time to come.

See you all in the next update!


	23. Sinking

**Chapter 23**

"_What a dream…"_

In her dream, water was all around her, and Kagura was calling her name. In her dream, she was on a beach, pulling the drowned bodies of all of her friends out of the water and screaming for help while a large ship passed by the savage island. But the ship did not come.

Minutes after waking up, Sachiko Kirihara still belonged to that dream.

Slowly opening her large, almond-shaped eyes, Sachiko began the difficult process of moving her neck and shoulders, in order to release her joints after so many hours of sleep. Many creaks echoed in the air, each one taking her more and more away from her dream, and closer to reality. Sachiko had slept no less than four hours, and not even the latest announcement managed to wake her up. In the back of her mind, the girl wondered how she could sleep so peacefully, if death was so close to her and her friends. The answer was obvious: she didn't really get into the game yet. Apart from the weapons and announcements, the previous day was no different than the meetings and "girl parties" she and the other girls' went to in her house.

Her dream, though, was anything but peaceful: it remained in Sachiko's memory completely, and would not go away very soon. In it, the girl was back in her school uniform, instead of the long purple nightgown she wore to sleep. And instead of being in an apartment, the bespectacled girl was on a beach with hot, tickling sand. It was a treeless, deserted place, and Sachiko remembered walking around the shoreline before finding someone floating face down in the water. Curious, she turned the girl's body to the other direction effortlessly, only to see that it was Kagura Soga, who seemed to be suffocating with something. Sachiko was instantly desperate, but before she could do anything to save her friend, three more bodies were washed by the waves and dragged towards the shore. This time, they were all floating face up, and Sachiko knew who they were. Hitomi Nara, Hana Nozaki and Rin Tosaba, and all of them had the same expression of pain on their faces. Their throats made weird, grunting sounds.

Sachiko remembered hearing Kagura's voice suddenly calling her name, almost if pleading to be saved or for her friend to wake up. But the actress remained still, unable to do anything to save any of them. Suddenly, the sky turned dark, and a blue, giant ship became visible at the horizon. Realizing the possibility of being rescued, Sachiko started waving for the ship and screaming at the top of her lungs, but the conductor apparently did not notice it. Soon the ship disappeared from where it had arrived, leaving Sachiko alone and in the dark.

"_I'm glad it was just a dream."_

There were many things to blame: maybe her nightmare was caused by the recurrent readings of The Lord of The Flies. Maybe the cause was The Program. Or maybe the roots of that dream were much older than that, coming from that day when…

"_Forget it."_

After a while, Sachiko managed to find some impulse and enough willpower to move her invigorated muscles. The first thing she did was turning her body to the side, which gave her a full vision of Kagura's back. Sachiko's best friend was still sleeping with her school uniform, and her hair, a long and dark ponytail, was over her pillow like black ink. Kagura's hair was a mess of strands that fell flat over her face, followed by a straight hairline that split her scalp in half. Finally, her hair ended in the long, disheveled horsetail. Sachiko was no hairdresser, but underneath Kagura's overall unattractiveness, she could see a pretty girl who could look much better if she took better care of her hair and appearance.

"_She was supposed to wake me up. Why didn't she do it?"_

Sachiko quickly unraveled the mystery. Kagura was tired after spending many hours taking watch and slept before she could wake her friend up. Simple as it was. Solving problems was something easy for Sachiko, who had a rational mind and only got emotive when she was with Kagura. Obviously, some problems were too big to be solved, such as "How to escape The Program" or "How to avoid getting killed in the next few hours."

Sachiko sighed. Her friendship with Kagura was maybe the oddest one in her class and one of the most unusual in her entire grade. Unlike Chitose Higurashi and Yoriko Shibasaki, who had different interests but personalities that matched well, Sachiko and Kagura thought, behaved and lived in completely opposite ways. Sachiko was confident while Kagura was not. Sachiko was outspoken while Kagura was shy. She was reasonable and clear-intentioned, while her friend was emotional and very moody. There was little to bring them together.

But they became friends anyway. There was nothing else to say.

Sachiko raised her small, long nailed hand in the air, and gently massaged Kagura's shoulder, to check if the girl was sleep. She was. She didn't snore nor mutter anything, but was completely silent. When the two girls had sleepovers together, Sachiko often noticed that Kagura was a huge light sleeper. One pat in the back was enough to wake her up. If it didn't work, there wasn't much else she could do.

"I want to go home…"

Sachiko started raising her legs and torso, struggling against the enormous gravity that threatened to pull her towards the bed once more. She tried three times before coming to a sitting position, staring at the almost complete darkness of her bedroom. Sachiko was able to figure out some shapes, such as the walls and floors, but that was it. She could also see that the door to the bathroom was wide open. Strange.

Slowly, the girl grabbed her glasses from the counter and put them on. Now she could see a little bit more than before, but not really enough. Sachiko was proud of her glasses; she had once tried wearing contact lenses, but quickly got tired of it. It was annoying to remove them, and she didn't want to be compared with Mari Shikamoto, one of the school's most self-hating girls.

Because she did not hear the announcement, Sachiko couldn't know that Mari was dead.

It was a nocturnal habit for Sachiko to go to the bathroom every time she woke up. To wash her face, look at her reflection in the mirror, play with her hair, and even pee sometimes. She wasn't vain, only needed some time for herself once in a while. Determined to leave her bed, Sachiko began to slowly turn her body around, and after some trouble in finding them, to put her feet on the pair of bunny sleep shoes right next to her bed.

"_I must look like a small child now. These clothes certainly belonged to one."_

The bespectacled girl quickly got up and moved slowly towards the open door. It was hard to see where she was going, and suddenly she tripped on the edge of the bed and almost fell. However, Sachiko did not panic, because unlike Kagura, she wasn't afraid of the dark. There were only three things she was really afraid of. The first was being watched without her consent. The second was water. And the third one was being abandoned and left behind.

It didn't take long for Sachiko to reach the door and come inside. She just needed to watch out where she was going and keep her arms examining the bed and the walls. Once in, she turned on the lights, and the whole room lit itself up for her. The bathroom looked nice, but was nothing special. The shower was hidden completely by a pair of green curtains. The toilet, unused and new, was shining through its whiteness. Right below the large mirror, there was a narrow sink. It was the same place where, hours before, Kagura was found mumbling and on the verge of a panic attack.

"_I hope she's doing better now."_

Sachiko was unable to forget Kagura's angry and frozen face when she was found, and as the hours went by, she could see that the feeling was mutual. Since that unexpected encounter, four hours before, Kagura seemed to be somehow avoiding her. She still helped Sachiko to prepare for the night, but rarely, if ever, initiated a conversation. And even when she did, she seemed to be hiding something, speaking monosyllabic answers and barely looking at Sachiko in the eyes. The bespectacled student could see that she was afraid of saying something, but no matter how much she tried, nothing managed to crack Kagura's shell and bring her out, safe and sound. Maybe the unattractive girl was just stressed and did not want to talk, but The Program is an event when all secrets are revealed and all of the unsaid words are spoken. Maybe it was something involving her friends' de…

"_No, it's not this. You know her, she won't hurt a fly. She might go nuts at times, but she's a good girl at heart. Maybe she got into a fight with Rin and does not want to tell me. Yeah, that's right. It was a silly, stupid argument. It's temporary. Tomorrow she'll talk to me again."_

Forcing herself to feel comforted, Sachiko quickly turned on the cold tap and began to wash her hands. The icy water caused the skin of her palms to tickle, filling it with both rigidity and a strange sense of pleasure. Unlike most people, Sachiko preferred the cold water to its hot counterpart, and rarely took hot showers. Some would say that she worried about her appearance and skin, but it wasn't that. Any water with a temperature above fifteen degrees Celsius could bring bad memories. Memories from the short time she spent swimming, which was abruptly cut short when the worst day of her life occurred.

The day when she lost her sister.

After washing her hands for a little while, scrubbing soap on both of them and then scrubbing the palms against each other, Sachiko turned off the tap and began washing her face. Unlike Kagura, she was pretty, with a long but not protuberant chin, doe eyes and a small, firm nose. Her looks alone could have made her even more popular than she already was, but since she was raised in a family of librarians and scientists, Sachiko believed her studies were more important than her appearance. For her, doing homework and reading school books were not an obligation, but a pleasure. She never forgot about her social life, but if left alone in her house for a weekend, she wouldn't start screaming and yelling that no one loved her, or complaining about being bored as hell.

Her glasses were a symbol of pride. She only removed them before going to sleep and while taking showers. Even while washing her face, her main activity at the moment, the twin lenses covered her eyes. In the plays where Sachiko commonly played the lead role, she wore her glasses even if her character was not required to wear them. Without her signature trait, Sachiko felt weaker, fragile. She wasn't with them on the day her ex-boyfriend almost killed her, or when Momoko died.

"_Momoko… This place reminds me of you a lot, do you know that? How did you feel like when you drowned? I want to know the pain you felt, because I'm going to join you soon."_

Momoko's name meant "peach" and her rosy, large cheeks and round face, along with her extremely small eyes, gave her the appearance of the homonymous fruit. She had been born "special", like the doctors and her mother called her, which was just another way of saying that she had Down syndrome. At first, Sachiko's family didn't notice that she had a mental disability, but as the months flew by and she seemed to learn things in a very slow rate, Momoko was taken to a doctor and her disease was discovered. From then on, the peace was gone.

Sachiko wanted to become a mother one day, even with all the complications having a child would bring to her life. But if she also gave birth to a disabled baby, she wouldn't behave much differently from how her parents did. After that trip to the doctor, Sachiko's mother started to eat less and to leave her bedroom less regularly, and tried not to look at her daughter's round face while breastfeeding her. Sachiko's father shared her pain, and started spending more time outside his home on purpose. The real reason was his secret lover, but his wife only found out about it many years later.

Sachiko, at the time an eight year old, couldn't fully comprehend why her parents spent more time with Momoko than with her. She also didn't know why Momoko looked different, was out of home out less often and never played with other children. As the girl slowly grew up, she found out about the reason, and soon developedhuge feelings of pity towards her sister, the opposite from her initial jealousy.

Mom and Dad were at work most of the time, so when she wasn't at school, Sachiko was the one who took care of Momoko. She did everything the smaller girl liked: gave her a shower, read her bedtime stories, and cooked her breakfast. She had to wake up early for this, but it was worthwhile. Momoko's smile after receiving her breakfast was priceless.

However, it wasn't possible for Sachiko to be by Momoko's side all the time. And being a "special" child, the girl would need a nanny. When Momoko was only two years old, the family hired one. She was an overweight, mousy faced woman, who smiled often and seemed nice enough to meet the high standards of Sachiko's mom. At first, everything looked good. The babysitter treated Momoko very well, Mom slowly got over her personal struggles, Sachiko made friends at school, and life was going ahead the way it should go.

Until Sachiko found bruises on her sister's arms while giving her a bath.

Out of a sudden, the cheerful and caring image of the babysitter was shattered into pieces. Upon inspecting her sister closely, Sachiko found beating marks not only in Momoko's arms, but legs and back as well. Mom and Dad got equally horrified, and after deciding that it was worth it, installed a video camera in Momoko's bedroom, on a day when the nanny was out. The images captured there were shocking and cruel. The woman, a ferocious beast behind her sheep's clothing, was routinely throwing Momoko on the floor, pulling her hair and slapping her face. There were neither discussions nor arguments with the abusive nanny. The family simply called the police, and on the same day, the viper that got into their Garden of Eden was sent to jail.

The most affected victim of the crime was not Momoko, but Sachiko. The girl slowly became more fearful for her sister's safety, asking her about the day, checking her body for bruises when they were not there, and even visiting Momoko's bedroom in the middle of the night, only to look at her disabled sibling's face for a little while. Momoko became more important than anyone else she knew.

But Sachiko couldn't protect her sister forever. As soon as Momoko turned four, it was the time for her to go to school. Sachiko was pessimistic about Momoko's future, and feared for what would happen to her while with other kids from her age. She would probably be labeled a freak, not make any friends while she was there, never get a boyfriend and be bullied constantly until her graduation day. Unless she committed suicide before that.

It was with hidden tears and bear hugs that Sachiko said goodbye to her sister in her first day of school. The teachers knew that Momoko had Down's Syndrome, and promised they would treat her with enough respect and decency. Momoko's classmates said the same on the day she was admitted into the school. But Sachiko did not trust any of them. In her country, being disabled was almost a crime. Due to the government's desire to create a "perfect" population, racial, religious and sexual minorities were often ostracized and viewed as the lowest of the low. Sachiko was a very realistic girl, and knew that, even if Momoko managed to survive through the hell middle and high schools are, getting a job or marrying would be almost impossible for her. The chances were close to zero.

In class on that day, Sachiko prayed and hoped that her sister was doing well.

The weeks flew by, and time seemed to prove that Sachiko wasn't that right. Momoko's social life was nothing outstanding, but acceptable, and her "cute" appearance made her not be the primary target of jokes and gossip that often. Obviously, she had trouble in understanding class and its subjects, but since the teachers felt somewhat sorry for her and wanted her to do better, Momoko quickly became their pet. Other children got jealous, and a boy or two called her weird from time to time, but overall Momoko's life at school was perfectly fine. Sachiko felt relieved.

Since she was only one year old, Momoko showed a greater-than-average interest in water. She usually spent a long time staring at lakes and puddles of rain water, and when she took a shower, Momoko would splash water over the walls and the panel, in order to make them wet. Then she would stay there, sitting and smiling in the center of the cold bathtub, until Sachiko or her mother noticed her absence and picked her up. When taking a bath, Momoko did not seem to be absent-minded or daydreaming, but happy instead, enjoying the effects of submersion and smiling as she did so.

Was it a surprise that, on the day the Kirihara family took her to the beach for the first time, she was absolutely excited?

That unforgettable day, the family of four decided to take the five year old Momoko to see the sea for the first time. On the weeks before the incident, the younger daughter had gone out of her house very often, including amusement parks, frozen lakes in the winter, and even rivers. But never to a beach, even though it was the place Momoko wanted to visit the most, sometimes running around with her arms raised and shouting "Sea, sea!" over and over. After travelling for half an hour due to traffic, the family finally arrived there.

Momoko was delighted. She quickly put sun block on, and ran towards the sea with her older sister by her side, playing with her among the waves. Sachiko lifted the smaller girl as much as possible, in order to never let Momoko's head drop below the water's level. Mom and dad did the same, and suddenly, a day that seemed to be troublesome, due to the traffic and some rain, turned out to be extremely pleasant instead. All of the four beach-goers were having fun equally, and under the warm summer sun, nothing else got into their minds for a while.

Sachiko's parents decided to go for a walk around the beach, leaving her alone with Momoko for about thirty minutes. Although Sachiko was only twelve at the time, she was viewed by her parents as mature and responsible enough to take care of a small child on her own. They gave her all of the necessary advice: always look at her, don't let her go into the water alone, put sun block on her again, etc. Sachiko followed all of them perfectly.

Up to a point.

Fifteen minutes after they were gone, Sachiko decided to read a book she had bought a week earlier and carried to the beach in a small bag. It was a bestseller series called "The Mists of Avalon", containing a new take on The Arthurian legends by the perspectives of the female characters. Although the novel contained certain themes her parents would never let her read about, such as descriptions of sex, Sachiko quickly became so addicted to the reading that the subject matter became nothing but a small grain of sand on her rational, knowledge-starved mind. Her eyes travelled along the pages like a car travelling on a mountain highway. The white paper blocked the sun and the sky. Even Momoko disappeared from her mind. The disabled child was making a mess with wet sand, trying to build a castle but having a hard time in doing it. Realizing that wet water was better to play with, Momoko went further and further towards the sea in order to get more of it.

Suddenly, she was completely swallowed by the waves.

Sachiko only noticed her small sister was drowning fifteen to twenty seconds after the torment started. By then, it was already too late. The bespectacled girl heard her name being called from the sea, in a high pitched but weak voice, and lowered her book.

When she saw the stream taking Momoko's body away from the shore, like a small bug floating in a swimming pool, a dark cloud completely covered the sun.

Sachiko began to scream, but screaming was useless. The strong ocean stream was dragging Momoko to the right, farther and farther away from her sister. Dropping her book to the floor like a sack of potatoes, Sachiko ran with towards the water with her arms open, and her thin body quickly made swimming a struggle as she ran along the shoreline, screaming Momoko's name and with water up to her waist. However, Sachiko did not dare to go deeper; her fear of the same fate was too strong. It was a rational decision, but rationality was out of the picture. In her life, Sachiko had never been that scared or worried before. Under all of her books and stoicism, there was a little girl.

The world was spinning around the girl, and she tripped on her own legs and got up again countless times. Momoko's wails slowly got weaker and weaker, until ceasing to exist. When Sachiko finally arrived to the place where her sister was, she could not see her, because the water was too deep. Only some of Momoko's hair was visible above the water, and it also began to sink after a while. Sachiko's heart stopped for a moment.

Too scared to walk into the water, which seemed to be a blue, huge bogeyman, Sachiko felt powerless and weak. She did not call for a life guarder. She screamed and wailed at the water for a long time, until a strong man appeared and came to rescue Momoko. Since his post was far from the drowning scene, he had to run for a long time until arriving for the help. After a brief struggle with the water, which felt like hours for Sachiko, the life guarder managed to localize and take the drowned Momoko on his arms. . The small girl's skin was discolored and even wrinkled, and her eyes, closed and still. The man laid her frail body on the sand, and Sachiko desperately prayed for anything that was good in the world to save her sister.

The life guarder did RCP on Momoko. Nothing happened. He tried again. Nothing. She did not move.

Sachiko preferred not to remember the rest of that day.

Momoko's body was buried three days later, in the biggest graveyard in town. A part of Sachiko's happiness was also buried under the soil, and never came back. The girl did not even go to the funeral, and instead spent an entire day lying on her bed, staring dumbly at the ceiling and breaking down into heavy tears. Sachiko's parents became more and more distant from each other during that year, and even though things had gotten better with time, the scars were still present and visible.

After her sister was gone, simple activities of the everyday life, once meaningless to Sachiko, became symbols of sadness and grief. The girl never stopped taking showers, but going to the pool or the beach became the absolute "no-no" in her book. Sachiko quickly abandoned swimming, and also removed all of the pictures she had of Momoko in her bedroom, placing them on the attic instead. That way, nothing would remind Sachiko of what she had lost so often and so painfully. On the day after Momoko's death, all students of Sachiko's grade were told about the incident, but the girl avoided talking about it anyway. In fact, she doubted that the most recent additions to her class knew of her sister's fate.

Kagura knew about it, though.

Sachiko wasn't crying, but was quickly getting close to it. Some things are better to be left forgotten. Her face, wet and dripping except for her glasses, was apathetical, lethargic and distant. Sachiko turned around and looked at the door behind her, staring passively at the sleeping Kagura. Now, she could have a complete view of her best friend. The way Kagura breathed, which sounded like an out of tune guitar note. The position of her legs, one crossed over the other in a nearly perfect "A" shape. Kagura's pimple-ridden and round face, which yet was so beautiful for Sachiko.

That face reminded her of Momoko. Imperfections included.

Sometimes, Sachiko wondered if this was the reason why she befriended Kagura in the first place. Not only her appearance, but also the way she behaved. Very few people would quickly befriend someone who was so clumsy and socially awkward, but for Sachiko, Kagura's needy behavior made her more interesting. She always seemed so dependant and beguiling, but still had a ferocious, violent temper inside of her which she wanted to hide all times. Sachiko knew it was a consequence of Kagura's harsh past, and that much probably, Momoko would turn out to be like her in the future.

"_She wasn't going to have a very good life. But she did not deserve to die anyway."_ Sachiko did not know if she was referring to Momoko, Kagura, or herself. After all, there wasn't much time left to live.

The girl took a couple of good breaths, and walked towards the sink once more. Unconsciously, she grabbed the green towel next to the mirror and dried her face and hair in seconds. She felt better and ready to go back to sleep, if sleep decided to be kind to her. The night wasn't like high school. It was actually a good advisor.

"_I'm not that different from them, after all."_ Sachiko's eyebrows fell downwards. In the end, she was just as needy as Kagura and Momoko. This was why she always made shy smiles, and decided to date that guy even though her instincts told her otherwise. The need to surround herself with pleasures and forget Momoko always spoke higher, due to Sachiko's own cowardice to face her memories. She wasn't the good sister she wanted to be.

The bespectacled girl shook her head sideways twice, and after looking at the mirror dumbly, stared at the sink. Something was wrong. _"Wait a second, who closed this?"_, she thought, after watching some water floating by the bottom of the sink, due to a closed lid that kept it from going down.

It was the last conscious thought in Sachiko's mind.

Before Sachiko could turn around or even blink her eyes, someone grabbed the back of her head. An enormous force pushed it forwards, and one second later, Sachiko's face went down and was buried at the bottom of the sink.

The violent impact caused the left lens of Sachiko's glasses to crack, and the whole object was partially dislocated away from her face. The girl's mouth and teeth began to hurt, after hitting the metallic edge of the sink and staying there. Sachiko's tongue came out and began licking the wet hardness of the sink against her will. She couldn't know it, but her entire head was buried at the narrow bottom, completely under the tap and unable to rise up. The hole was small and hardly left any space for her to move.

Struggling to free herself, Sachiko raised her neck upwards – and was met by the harsh and painful contact with the tap. The girl kept trying, but every time she made some progress, the sharp center of the metallic object caused pain on the area right above her temple. Besides, the other girl was stronger than her. Shaking her arms wildly, Sachiko tried grabbing the attacker, but her right hand was unable to reach anything but some of the stronger girl's clothes. There wasn't even enough space for a pinch. The left arm went for the girl's shoulder, but was quickly grabbed by the wrist. The stronger hand began to crush Sachiko's bones, causing her pain and small, muffled screams. Sachiko's pale arm struggled to be freed, but it was hit against the edge of the sink at full speed. Sachiko's left hand became numb and started swelling, useless. A purple bruise grew on three of her fingers.

With the same arm she used to grab Sachiko's wrist, the attacker quickly opened both taps. What was once a small puddle started getting wider as both types of water washed the top of Sachiko's scalp. Dripping down her face, they gave her "funny" feelings of numbness and pain, increasing the amount of water in the sink as it all sprayed violently against the mirror, the attacker's arms and Sachiko's body. The truth became even more evident: someone was trying to drown her.

The hand kept pushing down, holding strongly. Whoever wanted Sachiko dead was determined to finish the job. But Sachiko couldn't know who it was. At the moment, everything she could see was the shining lid of the closed hole, which pressured her forehead and made the whole situation even more uncomfortable. Her entire face was so strongly crushed that there was hardly any space left to breathe, see or taste the water. She tried screaming as loudly as possible, but since the water was now by the level of her nose, only guttural, muffled sounds came out.

Sachiko tried to fight back in a different way. She used her feet to kick backwards, hoping to hit the legs of her attacker and make her stop. Sachiko managed to deliver a blow from the right one, while completely missing the left. She heard a small grunt of pain from above, but her efforts weren't enough. The attacker used her unmoving right foot to step on Sachiko's, sending a wave of paralysis and pain up her right leg. The left one wasn't as strong and remained kicking, but the pain it caused to the other girl's knees was small and bearable. With escape getting more difficult, fear and desperation took over Sachiko.

The attacker pulled Sachiko's long hair upwards, and in the process, her head was scratched by the tap countless times, until her face was out of the wet sink and she could even see the mirror…

…One second later, it was pushed towards the bottom once more.

The violence only lasted for one or two seconds, but it was more than enough. Sachiko did not have enough time to scream or see who was behind her, but the pain she felt after hitting her forehead on the white hardness of the sink lasted for what felt like hours. The second impact was so strong that a purple bruise was formed on the left side of Sachiko's forehead. The cracked left lens of her spectacles shattered entirely, and shards flew out of the sink or remained tangled in the folds of her hair. The spectacles fell off, leaning to the side of the sink and leaving Sachiko's eyes completely exposed to the water. Breathing got harder. Her vision started blurring.

Strength began leaving the girl, making her efforts to fight back more desperate and futile. Her arms were still struggling and her left leg, kicking, but they did not have nearly the same willpower or resistance they had before. On the other hand, the girl drowning her remained firm, as if Sachiko's attempts to escape made her job more entertaining. Now the water covered Sachiko's head almost completely, leaving only her black hair visible above it. The girl's nostrils, with nothing but water to inhale, lost all control and unintentionally brought enemy into her lungs.

Sachiko's chest burned, and her body screamed for air more and more, to no avail. Pain dominated her chest and neck, while everything underneath it felt numb and rigid. The girl's throat tried to expel the water away, coughing so violently that even some blood came out of her mouth. Sachiko's back spasmed as she slowly drowned, contorting itself several times and increasing the cough. Some water was inhaled towards her brain, giving her the feeling of drinking a lot of coke at once. With the strange coldness that appeared there, some thoughts came.

Who could that be, who was drowning her? Rin, Hitomi, Hana? No, not them. They were away, somewhere she could not recall. It could only be…

"_Kagura"_

Sachiko did not need to cry over her friend's betrayal. The water was her tears.

The gray lid right in front of her eyes seemed to get more and more distant, and the many colors Sachiko liked so much were fading into black and white. Before, there were many noises coming from above. They were slowly silencing, leaving only the simple and homogeneous noise of immersion into water to haunt her ears. Sachiko's struggles became less intense and more instinctual, caused more by her threatened brain than her own will. Water had long passed its peak and continued overflowing, dripping heavily over Sachiko's back and shoulders, but she could hardly feel anything. If she was still able to think, she would have regretted abandoning swimming after Momoko's death.

Sachiko once thought that being drowned was a peaceful, painless death. It was the way she wanted Momoko to have died. But if the pain was half of what Momoko felt on that day, then she had no other choice but to suffer it. It was her fault that her sister had died in the first place. Fate finally caught up with her. No matter which way she looked at it, she deserved to die that way. Now she could feel that it did not even hurt that much. The pain was already fading, along with everything.

The lid disappeared entirely. The world turned white.

"_Mo…mo…ko…."_

White faded into black.

* * *

><p>After death, Sachiko's serene, beautiful face got turned into a doll mask. Those were the best words Kumiko Noma could use to describe it. With the left eye rolled up on its socket and glass shards stuck in her disentangled, wet hair, Sachiko looked like an old lady instead of a teenager. Shortly after she stopped struggling and went limp, Kumiko turned off the two strong taps and, with her hand still on Sachiko's hair, brought her body to a lying position on the floor that looked bizarre and humiliating. The once bespectacled girl's skin instantly got whiter than porcelain, but not in a pretty way. Rather, it looked like a polluted and intoxicated coral reef. Sachiko's mouth was open with horror and pain, her jaw dropped permanently and her tongue rolled upwards inside it. Her arms and legs turned rigid and stiff. Sachiko's black hair was so wet that it looked like dark blood, splattered on the wooden floor like a badly burnt spaghetti.<p>

Who was more beautiful, she or Rena Kuroda? What a difficult question.

Killing Sachiko was incredibly easy. Kumiko arrived only two minutes before Sachiko woke up. Fearing being discovered and killed, Kumiko only had to hide behind the shower curtain and wait for her classmate to be distracted enough. The drowning itself lasted for four or five minutes, and although some parts of Kumiko's body did sore from Sachiko's kicks, restraining the weaker girl took no big effort. In other words, the bespectacled girl was just another student who had absolutely no chance of winning the game, anyway.

When would she find a real challenge? Kagura got lucky and managed to capture her, but did not pull the trigger when she had the chance. Before killing Sachiko, Kumiko went to the other bedroom and saw the other three girls, sleeping like stones. She could have tried smothering pone of them with the pillow, but the ensuing struggle would be too close from the other two girls, who, if woken up, would cause Kumiko's death. Drowning someone in a sink was the best option she could have imagined.

"_Time to continue this thing." _With one of them dead, Kumiko could proceed to the next part of Kagura's game: hiding the evidence of what she did. Sachiko's spectacles were the first target. Still on the sink with only one lens, they were floating wildly in the water, resembling a dead water bug on a lake. Kumiko turned off the tap, and water instantly stopped dripping on the floor. Then, she grabbed the instrument to enhance vision and threw it in the place it belonged to: the garbage can.

Kumiko removed the lid that kept water from flushing downwards, submerging her right hand in the process. Although the sink was overflowing, it took only no more than ten seconds for it to be empty again. Now, the only sources of water in the room were the dripping edge of the bathroom counter, the mirror, and Sachiko's hair.

Drying it all also took little effort. Kumiko grabbed the same green towel Sachiko used to dry her face in her final moments and scrubbed the mirror with it. The area became foggy with dispersed water, but it at least did not look very wet. Kumiko began scrubbing the sink and its surroundings, eliminating all evidence of a drowning that could be there. When she was finished, the psychopath moved to Sachiko's hair, which was so wet that it left a puddle on the floor. Bringing the dead girl's black strands to the front of her face, Kumiko started covering the puddle with her towel, and then wrapped it over Sachiko's head. It took quite a while, but the corpse's hair also dried. Afterwards, Kumiko took another look at Sachiko's face. Something looked strange there.

Underneath Sachiko's blue nightgown, there was something black that seemed to protrude from her breasts. A closer look was all it took to discern the object's identity.

It was a bulletproof vest.

Kumiko was about to jump in joy, but restrained herself. The weapon was everything she was looking for. With it, winning would be much easier. Not wasting her time, Kumiko kneeled on the floor, and began unbuttoning Sachiko's blue garment. When she reached the fifth button, the vest was exposed right on top of Sachiko's bra. Working quickly, Kumiko undid the straps that tied the vest to Sachiko, having to flip her over more than once until the job was done. When she was done with them, Kumiko grabbed Sachiko's left arm and tried moving it to the side. Although the arm could not be folded in half, the effort was worth it, and only one arm remained trapped in the vest. Kumiko repeated the process on her classmate's right arm, and soon the entire vest was out. She buttoned Sachiko's nightgown again after that, to make sure no one would notice the theft.

Delightful over the possibility of winning, Kumiko took off her blouse. The vision of her underwear would make viewers go crazy at home. It was a brief vision, though: the girl quickly put on the vest, covering her bra with it. She did all the straps, and after putting on her blouse again, Kumiko was free to continue her job.

Without any sign of hesitation, Kumiko grabbed the dead body with both arms and lifted it up, carrying it to the living room slowly and patiently. Sachiko was a tall girl, but being thin as a bird, she didn't have many pounds of fat to complicate Kumiko's work. The killer never particularly argued with Sachiko, but did not have a good opinion of her either. For Kumiko, Sachiko was an _I-know-it-all-and-I'm-better-than-you _wannabe nerd, who knew more about her books than about the real world. Her friendship with Kagura only confirmed Kumiko's opinion of her.

Sachiko's body was slowly dragged out of the bedroom and into the dark living room. The mood was threatening and funereal there, with the sofas and lamps looking as if they would come to life and attack the intruder at any moment. The moonlight peering through the window turned the walls and furniture into macabre kaleidoscopes. Girls like Kagura would run back to their beds, but there was no fear in Kumiko's eyes. She was used to the dark.

Sachiko's body was laid on the floor once more, and the water dripping from her hair quickly created another puddle on the blue carpet. Instead of leaving the apartment, Kumiko remained there for a while, staring at her new masterpiece and wondering where to go next.

Suddenly, the blue carpet became a white floor, made of many squares of solid marble.

Sachiko's young, thin body started growing and her hair got shorter. Her clothes changed. She morphed into a woman in her thirties.

The water around Sachiko's head quickly turned red. A sick, maddening odor impregnated it. It was not water anymore, but blood. Another hot liquid appeared next to the woman, but Kumiko did not know what it was.

Kumiko closed her eyes. Shook her head. Inhaled rapidly. When she opened them again, the woman had disappeared. Sachiko continued to be the one who was dead.

"_Not again…"_

The short incident made Kumiko decide. She wouldn't stay there for another minute. Her job was done, why would she stay, even if to see how things would turn out? The girl already knew where to go next. It was just a shame, in the end, that she wouldn't be able to see the final result of her actions.

Walking towards the entrance door, Kumiko opened it and left.

The game was still hers.

* * *

><p>The first thing Kagura Soga saw was the eye. The lifeless orbit, which glared into her soul like a dead fish. Then, she noticed the long hair that partially covered the girl's face and was as dark as the feathers of a crow. Finally, she saw the mouth, wide open in a never ending scream, with a disgusting foam of water dripping from its left corners.<p>

It wasn't her.

It couldn't be her.

Sachiko wasn't dead.

That thing wasn't her.

It wasn't true.

She didn't die.

It was someone else.

It couldn't be her.

But it was.

As soon as Kagura's eyes made the connection with her brain, an enormous pressure came to her neck and throat, bringing agony upwards and until it exited through her eyes. The tears came seconds later, burning Kagura's eyelids and causing her to swallow all of the anger that once powered her. She quickly began to bawl, and covered her head with the blanket in order to avoid seeing the body of her friend. Her teeth were clenched together inside of her enclosed mouth, attempting to stop the tears from falling. It didn't work.

"_Why her?"_

Kagura's chest was on fire, and her heart had never beaten that fast before. Her stomach contracted involuntarily, hundreds of times, making the girl's situation even worse. Kagura's legs trembled under the covers, and felt cold even though it was summer. Without Sachiko, the heat in Kagura's life was gone.

"_Why? Why her? This is not fair, not fair!"_

No matter how big the physical pain was, it meant nothing compared to what Kagura felt inside. She was drowning in misery, anger and grief, an emotional turmoil that made her head ache and didn't allow the tears to stop. No, it wasn't right. Sachiko shouldn't have been the one. It should have been them, not her. Not her….

"_What did she ever do to me?"_

Yes, that was right. Sachiko never even argued with her, not even once. She was always smiling, always helping her with homework, always doing the right thing… she wasn't like the others. And yet, she was the one who paid the price for Kagura's stupidity. For making a deal with the devil, whose name was…

"_Kumiko."_ Kagura's face turned red.

The girl heard steps coming at her direction, passing right through the side of the bed. It was her. The whore. The one who deserved to die. Kagura's heart remained strong, and anger rose up to her face, causing her ears to redden as well. If she could only reunite enough strength to do so, she would kill Kumiko right there. Rip her apart with her bare hands. Break her neck. Make her suffer ten times more than what she did to Sachiko. Kill her before she killed anybody else.

Fear was stronger.

Kagura pulled herself up, but quickly went down. No matter how much she wanted to, another force paralyzed her to the ground. It wasn't just her fear, but all of her insecurities and weaknesses. Yes, that was it. She didn't change anything from the day when Kumiko locked her in the bathroom. She was just a coward. And she was weak.

The tears were even stronger, falling like waterfalls over Kagura's cheeks, hitting the white pillow and turning it into a dark shade of gray. Sachiko, the only real friend she ever had in her life, was dead and would never come back. She had disappeared under the water, sunk down under the bottom of the sink like in the sea, found her sister there. Leaving Kagura alone.

"_I'm alone… always alone…"_

It was her fault that her friend died. Not only she brought Kumiko there in the first place, but she also saw _all_ of it. Kagura could still hear the muffled screams Sachiko emitted underwater, see her desperation when she realized she would die, feel Sachiko's pain when her head hit the edge of the sink. However, Kagura did not move a muscle to help her, too shocked and afraid to even open her mouth and scream. She was always hesitating in the worst moments, always losing her battles, always being the underdog because of her weakness and lack of initiative. And her weakness brought her the final torment: her best friend's death.

"_Why did I do that? She's dead now, and what did I get from it? This wasn't part of the plan… so stupid…. Stupid…"_

More tears fell over the pillow. Kagura's school uniform was also soaked. The girl had never looked uglier. She wanted to stop that. Stop the plan. Stop more deaths and more suffering. But…

"_There's no turning back now."_

On the next day, they would all find out. And they would turn on her. It was kill or be killed from that moment onwards. Kagura never had a choice. She would cry herself to sleep and pretend she did not know anything. And lie again. Something she was good at, because lying is the instrument of the cowards.

The steps quickly disappeared from Kagura's hearing. Kumiko was gone. But Kagura did not dare to move to look at Sachiko's corpse. If anything, she wanted to stay away from it as much as she could. It wasn't the way she wanted to remember Sachiko.

And so, Kagura Soga remained there the entire night, crying, cursing and with her heart crushed. The romantics would say that, because Sachiko was dead, Kagura would never be complete again. It wasn't true, because the girl still felt whole. But she was lonely. Extremely lonely.

There was no more meaning in living in the surface, because all of the joys in her life had sunk to the bottom of the sea.

**Girl #7 Sachiko Kirihara – Dead**

**12 to go.**

* * *

><p>AUTHOR'S NOTE<p>

An emotional, heartbreaking chapter. There are three or four chapters in this story which I consider to be unbearably sad, and this is the first of them. Finally, someone is dead, but it is a character who was well-liked by the readers. If creating sympathetic characters causes the reader to share their suffering, then this chapter is the test to determine if Sachiko was developed or not.

Although this is not the longest chapter I've written so far, it's certainly the one that took the longest to be completed. The reason for such delay can be partially blamed to final exams, but mostly to my own lack of initiative. To prove my point, most of the chapter was written in a period of three days. I once promised myself that I wouldn't take that long to update, but this time I don't promise anything. Life is hectic and unpredictable, so I do believe that it will still take a long time before this story is finished.

Good news: the 100,000 characters point was reached with this chapter. It means this fic is now among the biggest works of the sadly underappreciated Battle Royale fandom. I've read most of the stories that have more than this in length, and most (if not all of them) possess excellent writing quality and developed characters. Hopefully, I'll reach this level of proficiency towards the end of the story.

To Terrilenium: Thank you for the review, but please reply to the private message I sent you. I proofread this chapter a lot due to your good advice.

See you all on the next chapter!


	24. The Unfinished End

**Battle Royale Girls Only: The Unwritten chapters**

**Chapter 24 -** Misa has a violent, blood curling nightmare. She dreams of her home in Tokyo, and finds in there her sick grandmother dead and Kageri and Hisame as disfigured corpses who want her dead. The girl vomits after waking up, and it's revealed she once suffered from an eating disorder. Misa leaves Kazukawa Inn before she goes mad, or the area becomes a danger zone. Meanwhile, Asuka's monstrous jealousy turns more aggressive, and she gets into a verbal quarrel with Kyoko. After many insults, Kyoko tells Asuka that her boyfriend would never want a girl like her. Asuka mysteriously retreats to her bedroom, and comes back minutes later with her gun, pointing the barrel at her former friend's forehead.

**Chapter 25 - **Asuka verbally humiliates and threatens to kill Kyoko, who cries while watching her best friend succumb to the game. In a desperate move, the taller girl lunges forward and throws Asuka to the ground, causing her to miss the shot and drop the gun. The two fight violently, holding nothing back and inflicting all of their rage upon each other. Asuka gets the upper hand and almost kills Kyoko by strangling her with a pillow, but the prettiest girl manages to grab her flamethrower and spill liquid fire upon Asuka. As Kyoko grabs the gun and leaves, Asuka is burned alive along with the house, and after regretting her maleficent actions, dies horribly. Screaming for help and mercy, the lonely Kyoko is left to wander the streets in a cold, terrible night.

Aya, the religious girl, localizes the Kaguraka manor, where Shizuko is hiding. A bit more is revealed about her past; she was been forced to work for her foster parents as a preacher during her entire life, even when she did not want to. Aya believes no one is in the house, until she finds out that the light on one of the windows is turned on. She opens the gate with a paper clip and enters the garden, while Shizuko is in too much pain to notice her.

**Chapter 26** – (WARNING: Not for the faint-hearted chapter) Inside the manor, the pain of Shizuko's delivery becomes unbearable. She is able to feel the baby slowly leaving her body, and prays for help. Meanwhile, Aya invades the manor and is drawn by Shizuko's screams from upstairs. Although she pities the girl a little, Aya still goes for the kill as a form of punishment for the pregnancy. However, Shizuko notices her and dodges the katana, but her left hand is cut off in the process. Shizuko is enraged after Aya mocks the deaths of her friends, and fights back by hitting her with the golf club several times. Aya's arm and leg are fractured, her collarbone is broken and her jaw, dislocated. When Shizuko is about to smash Aya's head with the cub, the religious girl impales Shizuko in the stomach, causing the death of the baby and an instantaneous abortion. Aya tortures the dying Shizuko by pushing the sword deeper and deeper, and as Shizuko's soul departs to heaven with her friends and daughter, Aya explodes her head with the Uzi. Mad with anger and bestiality, Aya vows to brutally slaughter every single contestant, to punish them for the wounds Shizuko inflicted on her. She leaves the manor with Shizuko's Uzi, leaving two sad and hideous corpses behind.

**Chapter 27**- After a horrible night, daylight shines above the city. For Kyoko, her despair does not change. The girl runs aimlessly, crying, wounded and humiliated. She gets lost in the maze of streets, and is surprised by someone in the shadows, who threatens her with a gun. She realizes that the person is Misa and tries to dialogue, but the other girl does not trust her. She asks Kyoko why she is bloodied, and Kyoko tells she was attacked and got away, but not that she murdered Asuka. Knowing that Kyoko would hardly hurt a fly, Misa drops her guard, but still keeps an eye on her classmate due to paranoia. The two keep walking through the streets in search for another good building to hide in, but on the way they find Kageri's insect- ridden and decomposing corpse. Kyoko vomits in disgust and, after taking a glimpse at Misa's bloody brick inside her bag, deduces that she's the one who killed Kageri. Desperate, Kyoko tries to run away but is caught by Misa, who tells her she did it in self defense. Feeling that she has no other choice besides following her classmate, Kyoko decides to team up. A new partnership is formed as the morning birds sing.

**Chapter 28** - With the morning announcement, the girls in the apartment complex finally wake up. Rin is the first to do so, and sees Sachiko's dead body as soon as she walks into the kitchen. The other three girls follow her, and while Kagura tries to stay away, hidden in the shadows, Hitomi panics and points her pistol at her friends, apparently paranoid. However, it's revealed in her own point-of-view that she wanted to backstab them and win the Program right from the start, and was only waiting for an opportunity. Rin tries to be rational, claiming that all of them could have easily invited a player in during the night, but she dismisses Kagura, because the ugly girl was the closest to Sachiko. The discussion gets tenser and heavy rain begins falling outside. Rin feels the pressure of her father's expectations affecting her thinking process. Finally, the rich girl succumbs to the tension and faces Hitomi in a Mexican standoff. After seconds of hesitation, she shoots Hitomi in the arm and then in the chest with her shotgun, killing her. Hana tries to run away but is shot in the back by Rin, falling over a table and covering the room with blood. Kagura decides to have her revenge and injects Rin's neck with cyanide, creating a red stain and causing her to cough blood. While waiting for Rin to die, Kagura humiliates her verbally and points the gun at her forehead, already insane. However, Rin manages to slice Kagura's Achilles heel with a glass shard, seconds before getting shoot in the forehead. Mad with anger and suppressed grief, Kagura, crippled forever, bandages her wound, takes Rin's shotgun and slowly leaves the apartment to find Kumiko in the middle of the heavy storm, leaving a trail of blood behind her.

**Chapter 29** – Misa and Kyoko keep walking through the city, castigated by the storm, until they find the front of the building Kagura moved away from half an hour before. After seeing the trail of blood left by the ugly duckling, and decide to follow it to the elevator. They are able to trace the apartment the girls occupied, which is still open. They are horrified by the four dead bodies, but find it odd that Kagura, who belonged to their group, isn't among them. They take Hitomi's gun, and find some ammo for it in the girl's bedroom. Kyoko mourns the deaths of the girls she will never again, and is comforted by Misa. The two realize that the only way they can survive the game, even if they have to kill each other in the end, is to play as a team, and protect one another. The two get into a deep talk about life and mortality, and tell each other their plans for the future if they manage to survive. Finally, they cover the dead girls' corpses with blankets and pray for their spirits while the rain slowly stops falling.

**Chapter 30 – **After committing her revenge, Kagura is tormented. The murders haunt her conscience, and she wonders whether or not they were necessary, especially Sachiko's. She tries to tranquilize herself by saying they would die anyway, but it does not work. However, the girl is still partially insane, and does not know how to stop playing the game. After a long walking, Kagura finds the hospital where she was supposed to meet with Kumiko, and the beautiful girl receives her with a hideous contempt. It's clear that the two hate each other, and are only waiting for the best opportunity to weed each other out. However, Kumiko helps Kagura in recovering her wounded foot, by bandaging it again and using medicines and a rag to stop the bleeding. Kumiko plans to sedate Kagura, and kill her while she's asleep, but the uglier girl doesn't fall for this trick and smashes the needle before it can touch her skin. In a moment when Kumiko is distracted by a butterfly that passes by, Kagura shoots her enemy in the chest with the shotgun, at a very close range. Only the bulletproof vest saves Kumiko's life, but she's crushed by the pressure and unable to stand up, and suffers some bone fractures from the impact. Kagura sees that her rival is alive and goes for a headshot, but Kumiko removes a small drill from her pocket (the one she took after killing Tomoko, her former partner) and impales Kagura in the thigh. She then proceeds to torture a defenseless Kagura with the drill, before brutally impaling her in the throat with it. Before she dies, Kagura regrets what she has done and sees that Rin was always a genuine friend. She remembers winning the singing competition of the school choir, and leaves the world with tears in her eyes.

**Chapter 31** – After killing Kagura, Kumiko begins hallucinating, and is violently mind raped. She sees her dead classmates and her mother blaming her for their deaths, and is chased through the hospital by a giant and carnivorous black butterfly. Kumiko's past is finally revealed: when her mother was pregnant with her, she tried to kill herself by drinking rat poison after her boyfriend cheated on and abandoned her. Both the mother and the baby survived, but the poison severely affected Kumiko's ability to feel empathy for others, causing her to be born with a fascination with death and a high tendency to violence and manipulation. At the age of nine, Kumiko's mother noticed her daughter's homicidal tendencies and tried to kill her with poison, but the girl changed the plates of food and killed her mother instead, who was the only person she actually loved. The trauma caused her to forget these memories, and in the present, to fall into insanity. Kumiko believes her mother is telling her to win The Program, or they will never see each other again.

Meanwhile, the determined Aya finds the house where Yoriko and Chitose are hiding in thanks to her GPS tracker. She notices that they are asleep through the window, and completely defenseless. She wonders if she should kill them or not, but eventually decides to do so in order to fulfill the promise she made after killing Shizuko. Yoriko wakes up and goes to the bathroom, leaving Chitose alone in the bed. Aya sprays the window with bullets, but Yoriko desperately jumps to save Chitose, getting shot in the arms and legs in the process. Chitose is awaken by the noise and flees the house with Yoriko, narrowly avoiding another round of bullets from Aya's Uzi as they run away.

**Chapter 32** – Desperate and terrified, Chitose and Yoriko wander through the abandoned town, with weak weapons to defend themselves and all buildings they encounter locked or in danger zones. Aya searches for them by following the bloodstains Yoriko's wounds leave on the pavement. After a lot of walking and crying, especially from Chitose, the two girls find the shopping mall, only to see the bloody, maggot infested and horrible corpse of Rena Kuroda at the entrance. Chitose confesses to her friend how much she's afraid to die and lose everyone that she loves. Yoriko decides to tell Chitose her love for her before it's too late. As Chitose cries on her lap, Yoriko says she loves Chitose and then kisses her softly, but instead of acceptance, she finds anger and rejection. Chitose slaps Yoriko and calls her a disgusting pervert, unable to accept the fact that another girl loved her. Betrayed, humiliated and heartbroken, Yoriko allows the anger she bottled up since her childhood to take hold, and stabs Chitose in the back with her sickle. Chitose tries to run but Yoriko corners her against a wall, and stabs her to death. Seconds later, Yoriko realizes that she killed her love, and cries from grief and pain as she clutches Chitose's body. Attracted by the screams, Aya sneaks from behind and shoots Yoriko in the back, but she still holds Chitose. Yoriko only releases her beloved after Aya destroys her head. Aya takes the sickle, but before she can celebrate the death of her classmates, she sees Kumiko walking in her direction, ready to kill her.

**Chapter 33** - A long battle ensues between the two villains of the game. The two contestants show their determination to win and shooting skills by blasting at each other in the mall's parking lot. At one point, Kumiko almost kills Aya by playing dead after being shot, but Aya sees through the trick and runs before the shotgun blast hits her. The bullets, however, destroy Aya's katana, leaving her with nothing but a sickle for close range conflict. Still, Aya's fury is so huge that she manages to slice Kumiko's stomach even with the vest on, and to beat her up severely, until Kumiko shoots her in the shoulder. Aya runs away, and Kumiko chases her with the shotgun until she notices that there is only one shot left, because Kagura forgot to bring extra bullets when she left the apartment. Kumiko runs after Aya through the town until they get very close to the playground area, which will soon become a Danger Zone. Aya bravely faces Kumiko's chainsaw at close range with her sickle, determined to survive, but after seeing the playground that brings memories of her childhood, she gets distracted. Kumiko takes her chance to poke Aya's right eye with her fingers, ending the fight with of blood and pain. To make her victim suffer more, Kumiko drags the religious girl to the playground and shoots her in the leg with the last shotgun bullet, preventing her from running. Aya is left alone and cries for herself and all of her victims, including Shizuko's baby. She laments the fact that she never had a childhood and had little fun or happiness in her life. Finally, the playground becomes a Danger Zone and Aya's collar explodes, ending her suffering with a bang.

**Chapter 34 – **The midday announcement comes, and Misa and Kyoko are shocked after hearing that they and Kumiko are the only ones left. Miss. Suzuki tells Kumiko of their location, a supermarket, and makes it very clear that she wants Kumiko to win. Kyoko tearfully tells Misa the truth about Asuka's death, and the letter she wrote to her boyfriend. She gives his address to Misa in case she does not win, and tells her friend to give him the letter. During the short time before Kumiko arrives, the girls sing a little together and tell each other their fears and insecurities, and Misa convinces Kyoko to forgive Asuka because "she has already been punished." They make a strategy plan for the final showdown and equip themselves with as many weapons they can find.

Kumiko, in a hurry and with the Uzi as her main weapon, heads to the supermarket to finish her enemies once and for all. On the way, the same dark butterfly that she painted all of her life follows her, and like before, she is unable to kill it, unlike every other living being. Kumiko reflects on how black butterflies represent her personality and past, the tainted darkness of her soul overpowering the core of innocence and motherly love she still carries in her core. Believing the butterfly to be her mother's spirit watching over her, Kumiko finally reaches the supermarket.

**Chapter 35 – **The chapter begins with Kumiko walking inside the store, threatening the other two survivors as if playing a game of hide and seek. The moment she is unprepared, Misa and Kyoko push an entire shelf on top of her, but she escapes in time. The gunfight begins, and all three girls are wounded. Kumiko endures the pain of many superficial shots bravely, but Misa slowly crawls towards her position and slices her foot in half with the ax used to kill Mari. Kumiko shoots Misa in the stomach, but before she is able to finish her off, Kyoko comes in and burns her face with an aerosol can and lighter, objects she had found among the fallen items. However, Kumiko fires blindly and mortally wounds Kyoko. Enraged, Misa rips off Kumiko's jaw with a bullet, and as the former class beauty bleeds profusely, Kyoko violently kills her by suffocating her nostrils with a plastic bag, in one final act of fury. As she dies, Kumiko smiles and sees her mother waiting for her in the afterlife. Finally, Kyoko dies in Misa's arms, giving her the letter as a final farewell to the world. As Misa is announced as the winner, she passes out from blood loss and is taken on an ambulance to a hospital.

**Chapter 36 – **Misa spends two weeks in the hospital, recovering from her gunshot wounds. She is left with a huge scar on her abdomen, which will always remind her of what she went through. After being released, she goes back home and tearfully embraces her family, who were convinced that she was going to die. Sadly, she finds out that her grandmother passed away from a heart attack the moment she found out her granddaughter was in The Program. Misa is sent to another school and life returns to normal, except for many nightmares and a medication dependency. One day, she passes over the address Kyoko gave to her, and remembers the promise she made. She knocks on the door and sees a very depressed Nobuo, her companion's boyfriend. She gives him the last letter, and as he reads it, the two of them cry together, remembering Kyoko and all of the class.

Epilogue: The story moves forwards to twenty years in the future, showing Misa as an adult woman. Over the years, both she and Nobuo got into therapy to deal with their personal tragedies, and it was during the healing process that they slowly fell in love and eventually got married. Misa still dreams with her classmates, and in her sleep they are happier in death than they have ever been in life. Misa knows that her mission on Earth is to honor her deceased classmates, and to never forget them. The story ends with two little girls knocking on the door. They say hello to their mother, and Misa replies: "Welcome back, Asuka and Kyoko".


End file.
